Addressing Health Risks in Shomolu
The Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) has issued a warning to residents of Shomolu Local Government Area, urging them to avoid unregistered health facilities and the consumption of unregulated herbal concoctions known as Agbo. The agency highlighted that such practices can lead to serious health complications.
During a sensitisation campaign and town hall meeting held on Thursday in Shomolu, Dr Abiola Idowu, the Permanent Secretary of HEFAMAA, addressed the community through the agency’s Head of Research and Statistics, Dr Olonire Olorunfemi. This event was part of a World Bank–assisted project aimed at enhancing access to safe and quality healthcare across Lagos State.
“HEFAMAA is here today in Shomolu Local Government to sensitize the community about the roles and responsibilities of the agency,” said Idowu. “This sensitisation town hall meeting has already been conducted in about 10 local governments, and today’s program has been very interesting.”
She noted that a large number of residents attended the meeting, where they were educated on the importance of seeking healthcare only from recognized facilities registered by the Lagos State Government through HEFAMAA. These facilities are properly licensed, have qualified personnel, and are capable of providing safe and quality healthcare services to the people of Shomolu.
Idowu also addressed concerns raised by participants regarding the training of auxiliary nurses in private health facilities. She emphasized that the state government had completely banned this practice. “No private health facility should train auxiliary nurses because these individuals are not licensed and are not properly qualified to provide safe and quality healthcare services,” she stated.
She warned that allowing such practices could harm the people of Shomolu and the entire state. “Any facility still doing so should desist immediately, as HEFAMAA will impose severe sanctions on offenders.”
Additionally, Idowu cautioned residents against the indiscriminate use of Agbo, highlighting that most herbal mixtures sold by street vendors are neither scientifically measured nor certified by the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board. “Consuming unregulated Agbo can damage vital organs such as the liver and kidneys,” she said. “Many of these concoctions contain harmful substances that can lead to addiction. We therefore advise residents to consume only certified herbal products that have been tested, quantified, and approved for use.”
Idowu urged residents to take personal responsibility for their health by avoiding unsafe medical practices and ensuring they access care only from accredited facilities. “The Lagos State Government is very concerned about the health of Lagosians, especially those in Shomolu. We will continue to educate and protect the public through sensitisation programmes such as this,” she said.
The Role of Registration and QR Codes
In his address on the “Importance of Registration and QR Codes,” Chief Nutrition Officer of HEFAMAA, Mr Richard Olusanya, reflected on the origins of HEFAMAA, which was founded in 2006 to oversee and regulate hospitals, clinics, maternity homes, and other healthcare providers throughout the state.
At its core, he emphasized, HEFAMAA’s mission is to enforce rigorous standards for personnel qualifications, equipment quality, and environmental safety, ensuring that only licensed medical professionals helm these operations. “The individual overseeing a hospital must be a registered doctor or nurse,” Olusanya asserted, underscoring the perils of unqualified practitioners.
“We cannot tolerate scenarios where a single person dabbles in ophthalmology, dentistry, and general medicine—that’s a gateway to quackery and patient harm,” he added.
To uphold these principles, he explained that HEFAMAA performs comprehensive inspections every six months, verifying compliance while reminding operators that clinics, unlike full-service hospitals, are not equipped for continuous, around-the-clock care.
Olusanya concluded with a call to action, imploring both public and private facility managers to prominently display their registration certificates in patient-facing areas.