A measure to safe guard the health and lives of residents, the Ondo State Government has vowed to rid the health sector of quacks.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro made this statement after being briefed by the monitoring team of the Hospital Services Department of the Ministry on the aftermath of the monitoring exercise, the previous day.
He frawned at those who toil with the lives of people in the state, saying perpetrators will be brought to book.
The Health Commissioner said the government will press for maximum punishment for offenders as deterrent to those who do not have value for life.
Dr Adegbenro said the state has zero tolerance for Quackery so the Ministry will make the monitoring a more regular exercise as it will make people sit up.
He appealed to residents to beware of where they go to seek medical attention as the Government has brought qualitative Health care to the door steps of the people.
Also reacting, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Jibayo Adeyeye, said the government is sending a very strong signal that it will not condone quackery in the state.
He added that there is no second chance for anybody caught trying to waste the much valued lives of residents under any pretence.
The Special Adviser said without wasting time, the state will seek collaboration with neighboring states and law enforcement agencies to make sure there is no hiding place for quacks.
The head of the monitoring team and Director Hospital Services ,Dr. Olayinka Akinsete said the exercise is a routine carried out by the department to regulate medical practice, safe guard the lives of the people, fish out those not playing the game accordingly to the rules and sanction them appropriately.
He briefed that the team visited Owo, Ifedore and Ose Local Government areas of the state.
At Uso in Owo Local Government Area, a quack by name Adewale Emmanuel Owolanke who had been parading himself as a doctor and operating an illegal hospital called Devine Hospital popularly called Baba Mama Hospital situated behind St. Andrews Anglican Church Uso, was apprehended and handed over to law enforcement agents.
Owolanke was alleged to have operated on several of his victims who had lost their lives in the process.
The Hospital had earlier been closed down but Owolanke had reopened it and continued with his illicit and unlawful activities.
Abooluwa Famakinwa
Press officer Ministry of health.
