The Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) has intensified its campaign against fake doctors and illegal health facilities, extending its community sensitisation drive to Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State.
At a recent town hall meeting and awareness campaign held in Ojo, residents were strongly cautioned against patronising unregistered and unaccredited healthcare providers, often described as “mushroom” facilities.
Representing the Permanent Secretary of HEFAMAA, Dr. Abiola Idowu, the Deputy Director of Health Education, Mrs. Oladunni Omonike, delivered a clear message: Lagos residents must take responsibility for their health by seeking care only from licensed and government-approved facilities.
“Our advice to Lagosians is simple: they should patronise only registered, government-approved facilities for their healthcare needs,” Omonike said on behalf of Dr. Idowu. She explained that properly registered facilities are known to the government and can be held accountable in the event of malpractice or negligence.
“However, when individuals patronise unregistered or mushroom facilities, it becomes difficult for authorities to intervene or protect them,” she warned.
The ongoing campaign, which has so far covered 19 local government areas across the state, aims to bring regulatory awareness directly to communities. Residents are being educated on how to identify legitimate health centres through official registration insignia, the HEFAMAA logo, and scannable QR codes displayed at accredited facilities.
According to Omonike, public response to the initiative has exceeded expectations. “In some locations, we anticipated about 200 facilities, but attendance surpassed that number. We even had to provide additional seating,” she noted, adding that the high level of engagement and inquiries reflects growing public awareness of the risks associated with unlicensed operators.
The agency revealed that the increased awareness is already producing tangible results, with more residents reporting suspicious health operations. This has enabled HEFAMAA to respond more swiftly.
“I cannot give an exact figure, but we have shut down more than five facilities already this year, and we are only in February. Even yesterday, one was sealed,” Omonike disclosed, emphasising that enforcement efforts have become more robust and proactive.
Providing further insight into the agency’s mandate, HEFAMAA’s Chief Nutrition Officer, Mr. Richard Olusanya, recalled that the agency was established in 2006 to regulate hospitals, clinics, and maternity homes across Lagos State. He stressed that only qualified and licensed practitioners registered doctors or nurses are permitted to head medical establishments.
“We cannot tolerate situations where one individual claims expertise in ophthalmology, dentistry, and general medicine. That is a clear pathway to quackery and patient harm,” Olusanya stated.
He explained that the agency conducts routine inspections every six months to assess staffing levels, equipment standards, and environmental safety. He also cautioned that smaller clinics are not authorised to operate as full-scale hospitals offering 24-hour comprehensive services.
Facility owners were urged to prominently display their registration certificates to enable patients to verify their legitimacy easily.
The statewide sensitisation exercise aligns with the Lagos State Government’s broader healthcare quality agenda under the #AGreaterLagosRising initiative. HEFAMAA has reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on quackery, sealing numerous illegal facilities in recent years to safeguard residents.
Authorities have advised Lagosians to verify the status of any health facility through official channels before seeking treatment, underscoring the message delivered in Ojo: safeguarding one’s health begins with choosing accredited care providers.
