.Reveals 32 hospitals shut between January and June 2025

Lagos State government has revealed that it is illegal for any health facility to train auxiliary nurses, just as it is illegal for anyone to practice as an auxiliary nurse in the state, threatening that any hospital training auxiliary nurses or having auxiliary nurses in its employment would be shut.

The Permanent Secretary, Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), Dr. Abiola Idowu, stated this on Thursday during a sensitisation campaign cum town hall meeting in Alimosho Local Council on the roles and responsibilities of HEFAMAA.

Idowu, represented by Director, Research and Statistics of HEFAMAA, Dr. Olorunfemi Olonire, said that the state government banned the training and practice by auxiliary nurses because they do more harm than good to the state health sector.

She implored residents to report any illegal and unapproved health facilities and quack medical practitioners to the agency for necessary action.
According to her, the state government does not want the healthcare process of the citizens to be misdiagnosed or attended to unprofessionally, which was why the agency was set up.

Idowu revealed that 32 health facilities were shut between January and June for various infractions, stating that the agency is committed to ensuring that only approved health facilities operate in the state.

She said the agency has teams that monitor and inspect healthcare facilities spread across different local councils and local council development areas in the state.

The King of Shasha Kingdom, Oba Babatunde Nasiru, implored HEFAMAA to work on the nonchalant attitude of staff of public hospitals toward patients who visit their hospitals. He also talked about the agency stepping up its monitoring of public facilities and getting the government to equip and staff them appropriately.

The monarch underscored the importance of the agency stepping up its monitoring and oversight functions to ensure that quacks have no place in any facility, as the residents may not be able to easily identify a quack nurse, doctor, or medical personnel in an approved facility.

“If the government does not rein in the nonchalant attitude of staff of public hospitals, many residents will continue to attend hospitals managed by quacks.”