Daud Olatunji
The Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called on residents to collaborate with medical authorities in exposing fake doctors and unregistered health facilities operating across the state.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abeokuta on Wednesday, to mark the 2025 Physicians’ Week, the NMA Chairman, Dr. Luqman Ogunjimi, described the activities of quack doctors as a growing threat to public health and urged community members to act as whistleblowers against the menace.
Ogunjimi said, “It is high time that members of the community, who are always at the receiving end of the terrible activities of fake medical doctors, begin to raise the alarm and report such practices to the government or the NMA. If you are not a doctor, don’t attempt to practise as one.”
He revealed that the association was set to reinvigorate its anti-quackery monitoring committee in collaboration with the state government, stressing that public involvement was crucial for the success of the campaign.
According to him, “We are saying that the hands are not enough. We try to ensure that patients are attended to in hospitals, yet we still have to move around for monitoring.
“This is challenging, except we know where the quacks operate. That is why we need community members to report suspicious activities.”
The NMA chairman warned residents against patronising unregistered medical facilities, chemist shops, and herbal centres, saying such practices often lead to avoidable deaths.
“When the chips are down, those who first patronise chemists or herbalists end up in hospitals too late. We try to salvage what we can, but many lives could have been saved if people sought proper medical attention early,” he lamented.
Ogunjimi also urged the government at all levels to improve doctors’ welfare, provide a stable economy, and address insecurity to reduce the exodus of medical professionals seeking better opportunities abroad.
He said, “One of the leading reasons for brain drain is poor remuneration. What Nigerian doctors earn compared to their counterparts in other countries, even within Africa, is abysmal.
The government must improve welfare packages to keep doctors in the system.”
While commending the Federal Government’s directive to double medical school admissions, Ogunjimi cautioned that the effort would yield little result without improved remuneration.
“As lofty as that policy is, if the government fails to improve pay, the new doctors produced will still leave the country,” he warned.
The NMA chairman further called on the Ogun State government to increase funding for the Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences and the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) to enhance training and healthcare delivery.
He, however, commended Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration for implementing the revised CONMESS salary structure, revitalising the 250-bed Specialist Hospital in Abeokuta, and sustaining the state’s health insurance scheme.
Ogunjimi also applauded philanthropists including Alhaji Adebola Adegunwa, Chairman of Rites Foods, for donating a trauma centre to OOUTH, Asiwaju S.K. Onafowokan for the new Physiotherapy Building, and Sir Kesington Adebutu for establishing the Eye Clinic and Diabetes Centre at the teaching hospital.
The NMA boss hailed doctors in the state for their dedication despite mounting challenges such as poor remuneration, multiple taxation on private practitioners, and the controversial contributory pension scheme.
The 2025 Physicians’ Week, themed “Healthcare as a Value Chain: Building Efficiency from Policy to Patient,” according to Ogunjimi, seeks to celebrate doctors’ resilience and to re-evaluate the nation’s healthcare delivery framework.
He added, “This week allows us to reflect on both the challenges and the progress we’ve made as a profession. It underscores the critical role physicians play in ensuring a functional healthcare system.”
In his closing remarks, Ogunjimi expressed deep appreciation for the support of key figures in the state’s health sector.
He said, “We appreciate the exceptional leadership provided by the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Health and Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Kayode Oladehinde and Dr. Nike Elemide, respectively.
“In addition, we thank our revered leader, Dr. Quudus Yusuff, Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, for his fatherly mentorship.
“Special appreciation also goes to Dr. Ogunsanya Wellington, Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Government House, for his contributions to the association.”
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