By Asaye Bankole
The Lagos State Government has cautioned private medical practitioners against treating patients with medical conditions beyond their professional knowledge and expertise, urging them to refer such cases to qualified specialists to prevent avoidable deaths, complications and inappropriate medical treatment.
The Executive Secretary of the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), Dr Victoria Egunjobi, gave the warning during a meeting with members of the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners in Lagos.
According to a statement obtained by Newsmen on Sunday, Egunjobi stressed that medical practitioners must understand the limitations of their professional training and avoid handling complicated health conditions without the necessary expertise.
She explained that referring patients to specialists whenever necessary was essential to ensuring proper diagnosis, effective treatment and improved patient safety.
The HEFAMAA executive secretary also called on private medical practitioners to support the state government’s efforts to eliminate unqualified healthcare operators and facilities across Lagos.
She urged members of the association to provide credible information about individuals and medical centres involved in quackery, stressing that cooperation between healthcare professionals and regulatory authorities was necessary to sanitise the state’s health sector.
Egunjobi noted that maintaining acceptable healthcare standards required collective responsibility, proper regulation and a strong commitment to professional ethics among medical practitioners.
She further encouraged doctors to embrace self-regulation and report unprofessional practices within the industry rather than allow activities capable of endangering patients to continue.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for the newly inaugurated executive members of the association’s Lagos State chapter to discuss challenges confronting private medical practitioners and explore possible areas of collaboration with the agency.
The chapter chairman, Dr Olusola Ogunleye, said the association’s leadership had visited HEFAMAA to establish a working relationship with the agency and seek solutions to issues affecting private healthcare providers.
Among the concerns raised were multiple taxation, limited access to professional training and capacity-building programmes, as well as the possibility of making membership of the association a requirement for registering private healthcare facilities with HEFAMAA.
Ogunleye also appealed to the agency to simplify the registration process for private health facilities and work towards harmonising waste management charges through consultations with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority.
She further called for standardised inspection procedures to ensure consistency, transparency and fairness in the regulation of private healthcare facilities across the state.
Responding to the concerns, Egunjobi assured the association that the issues raised would receive appropriate consideration.
However, she maintained that the agency’s primary responsibility was to ensure an organised, properly regulated healthcare system that prioritises patients’ safety and protects public health.
She reiterated the need for continuous engagement between regulatory authorities and healthcare providers, adding that practitioners must demonstrate greater commitment to professional accountability and compliance with established standards.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Director of Monitoring and Inspection, Dr Ibom A. Godswill, and the Director of Research and Statistics, Dr Olonire Olorunfemi, reminded private medical practitioners of the importance of obtaining the necessary registration before commencing healthcare operations.
They also urged healthcare providers to renew their operating licences when due and comply with all regulatory requirements governing the establishment and management of medical facilities.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening monitoring and inspection activities while maintaining engagement with relevant stakeholders to improve healthcare standards across Lagos State.
The government said its efforts were aimed at ensuring that medical facilities operate within approved professional guidelines and that residents receive safe, reliable and quality healthcare services.
The warning underscores the importance of professional competence, timely referrals and effective regulation in preventing medical errors and protecting patients from avoidable health complications.
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