HEFAMAA BEGINS CLAMPDOWN ON UNREGISTERED HEALTH FACILITIES IN LAGOS.{PHOTO}.#PRESS RELEASE.

The Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) will on Monday, 8th November 2021 begin clampdown on unregistered health facilities in Lagos State.

The Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr. Abiola Idowu, speaking on Thursday on the planned exercise, tagged: “Operation Show Your License/Certificate of Registration”, disclosed that the State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, has directed the Agency to commence the verification of the licenses of public and private health facilities in the State.

She explained that the Agency has slated Monday, 8th November 2021 for commencement date of the operation, warning that all health facilities in the State should be ready to present the licenses of all healthcare workers and their certificates of registration to the Agency's monitoring staff for verification or risk sanctions.

Idowu informed that HEFAMAA will not accept a situation where health facilities operate without proof of registration or licenses for their healthcare workers, stressing that such action is contrary to the provisions of the 2006 Health Sector Reform Law. 

“On the directive of the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, starting from Monday, our monitoring staff will visit public and private health facilities in the State to, amongst other things, verify their licenses to ascertain whether they are operating legally”, the Executive Secretary said.

Dr. Idowu added that all existing healthcare facilities in the State are required by law to renew their registration annually, adding that it is mandatory for new facilities to register with the Agency before commencing operations to safeguard the health of the citizenry.

She reiterated the need for owners of facilities in the State to take advantage of the HEFAMAA e-portal to complete their registration and renewal while also keeping abreast of the programmes and activities of the Agency.  

In her remarks, HEFAMAA Board Chairman, Dr. Yemisi Solanke Koya, explained that the initiative is not a witch-hunt but, rather, it is in furtherance of its public protection mandate.

She emphasised that HEFAMAA, through the verification exercise, seeks to ensure that the health facilities in Lagos State are in strict compliance with the law.