HEFAMAA CONCLUDES SENSITISATION EXERCISE ACROSS 20 LGAs AT IBEJU-LEKKI
… Urges Herbal Practitioners to Adhere to Approved Traditional Practices
The Lagos State Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) has concluded its statewide sensitisation campaign across the 20 Local Government Areas of Lagos State, with the last engagement in the series held in Ibeju-Lekki on Wednesday.
Speaking at the town hall meeting held within the premises of the Ibeju-Lekki council secretariat, the Permanent Secretary of HEFAMAA, Dr. Abiola Idowu cautioned herbal practitioners against administering orthodox medicines alongside traditional remedies without proper authorisation.
Represented by the Deputy Director of Health Education, Mrs. Oladunni Omonike, the Permanent Secretary, explained that practitioners operating herbal centres or faith-based establishments are expected to restrict their services to recognised traditional medical practices.
She emphasised that combining conventional medicines with unregulated herbal treatments violates established healthcare regulations and poses potential risks to public health.
According to her, traditional medicine practitioners in Lagos State are required to operate under the supervision of the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board, the statutory body responsible for regulating traditional medical practice and ensuring adherence to approved standards within the sector.
Dr. Idowu noted that HEFAMAA works in close collaboration with the Board to strengthen oversight, enforce compliance, and protect residents from unsafe or unapproved healthcare services.
She further disclosed that the sensitisation programme formed part of the agency’s strategy to educate healthcare operators, improve regulatory compliance, and enhance the quality of healthcare delivery across the state.
“The purpose of these engagements is to ensure that practitioners clearly understand the regulatory framework guiding healthcare services in Lagos State and the importance of operating within approved standards,” she said.
Dr. Idowu added that the agency remains committed to continuous stakeholder engagement, stressing that HEFAMAA’s approach focuses more on education and guidance rather than punitive measures.
Also speaking, HEFAMAA’s Chief Nutrition Officer, Richard Olusanya, stated that the agency had engaged residents, community leaders, religious organisations and healthcare providers across the state to raise awareness about its mandate and encourage the patronage of accredited health facilities.
He described the engagement at Ibeju-Lekki as the concluding phase of the sensitisation exercise conducted across all 20 Local Government Areas in Lagos State.
He expressed the hope that the exercise would assist in deepening awareness of regulatory standards guiding healthcare practices and promoting compliance among health facility operators.
Stakeholders in attendance during the engagement were Herbal Practitioners and Community Leaders, among others.
More photos below.
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