By Adaeze Onuora, Abakaliki
The Senator representing Ebonyi North Senatorial district in the National Assembly, Distinguished Senator Onyekachi Peter Nwebonyi on Friday, has raised alarm that the activities of Medical Profession , is being taken over by quacks more than other Profession in Nigeria today
Senator Nwebonyi who disclosed this during the screening of one of the Ministerial nominees from Lagos state, Dr Tunji Alausa, while noted that the activities of quacks and fake drug peddlers in the medical profession is unbecoming
This was contained in a statement signed and issued by his media aide
Romanus Uzor Ozioko
At the screening session, Senator Nwebonyi put the question to Ministerial nominee Dr Alausa, on what he would do to salvage the ugly situation
According to Senator Nwebonyi he said;
“ Dr Alausa, from your records, you may be the next Health Minister and if that happens, I want to bring your attention to two things: if you go through our pharmaceutical companies across the country, 50 percent of the drugs there are fake drugs. What will you do to avert this knowing that NAFDAC is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Health.
“Number two: Medical Profession today is being overtaken by quacks more than any other Profession in Nigeria. As a Health Minister, what will you do to stop this menace in view of the sensitive nature of the medical profession.
Senator Nwebonyi painted a gory
picture of those with Community Health Certificates conducting surgeries in some remote villages. He therefore challenged the Ministerial nominee to bare his blueprint on how to practically address these germane issues:
“ when you go to the rural areas, you will see those with Community Health Certificates conducting surgery and in most cases lead to lost of lives.”
Meanwhile, the Senate President sitting as Chair, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio commended Distinguished Senator Nwebonyi for raising such pertinent questions noting that he had actually spoken his mind:
“Distinguished Senator Nwebonyi, you actually spoke my mind because I was waiting for the Distinguished Senators to ask about the activities of quacks. Even as we speak now, five people must have died today as a result of the activities of quacks. Nurses are doing surgeries in private domains, even dispensers in the Chemist are also giving injections and a lot of people are dieing. I have had a personal family experience in 2019 and I was going to ask that, outside the fake drugs, the issue of quackery also calls for urgent attention.
