The Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) has cautioned residents of Shomolu Local Council against patronising unregistered health facilities and consuming unregulated herbal concoctions, popularly known as Agbo, saying such practices pose serious health risks.
Speaking during a sensitisation campaign and town hall meeting in Shomolu, the Permanent Secretary of HEFAMAA, Dr Abiola Idowu, represented by the agency’s Head of Research and Statistics, Dr Olonire Olorunfemi, said the engagement formed part of a World Bank–assisted impact project aimed at improving access to safe and quality healthcare across Lagos State.
Idowu addressed concerns raised by participants on the training of auxiliary nurses in private health facilities, stressing that the state government had completely banned the practice.
“No private health facility should train auxiliary nurses because these individuals are not licensed and are not properly qualified to provide safe and quality healthcare services,” she stated.
“Allowing them to operate could cause harm to the people of Shomolu and the entire state. Any facility still doing so should desist immediately, as HEFAMAA will impose severe sanctions on offenders,” she said.
She also cautioned residents against the indiscriminate use of Agbo, warning that most herbal mixtures sold by street vendors are neither scientifically measured nor certified by the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board.
“Consuming unregulated Agbo can damage vital organs such as the liver and kidneys,” she said, adding that
“Many of these concoctions contain harmful substances that can lead to addiction. We therefore advise residents to consume only certified herbal products that have been tested, quantified, and approved for use.”
Idowu urged residents to take personal responsibility for their health by avoiding unsafe medical practices and ensuring they access care only from accredited facilities.
“The Lagos State Government is very concerned about the health of Lagosians, especially those in Shomolu. We will continue to educate and protect the public through sensitisation programmes such as this,” she said.
In his address on the “Importance of Registration and QR Codes,” Chief Nutrition Officer of HEFAMAA, Mr.
Richard Olusanya, reflected on the origins of HEFAMAA, founded in 2006 to oversee and regulate hospitals, clinics, maternity homes, and other healthcare providers throughout the state.
At its heart, he emphasised, HEFAMAA’s mission is to enforce rigorous standards for personnel qualifications, equipment quality, and environmental safety, ensuring that only licensed medical professionals helm these operations.
“The individual overseeing a hospital must be a registered doctor or nurse,” Olusanya asserted, underscoring the perils of unqualified practitioners.
“We cannot tolerate scenarios where a single person dabbles in ophthalmology, dentistry, and general medicine—that’s a gateway to quackery and patient harm,” he added
