News Editor
By David Odama
Worried by the increasing cases of quackery in Nasarawa state, the State House of Assembly, has affirmed it determination to flush out all private hospitals across the 13 local government areas of the state operating illegal health facilities without licences, warning all quack doctors to relocate from the state before the law catches up with them.
The speaker of the state house of Assembly, Danladi Jatau made the statement while playing host to the state chapter of Private Clinics Proprietors Association (PCPA), who were in his office in Lafia to present him an award of a community health champion of the year.
Jatau disclosed that the bill to regulate private hospitals operating illegal in the state without licences has passed the most difficult stage, affirming that as soon as the house returns from its recess will pass the bill into law to avert any possible act by these quack doctors to endanger the lives of any citizen in the state.
According to him, “It is in line with this that the state government brought a bill to regulate the activities of the private health practitioners in the state and the grace of God, when we resume, the bill will be passed into law.
What we are trying to do in the assembly is to see that things are done in a proper way that will pave way for you to operate under a law and nobody can challenge you on what you are doing, provided that you are doing the right thing.”
He continued, “We must have laws for your operations, so that you don’t operate illegally. While we do that, I want to appeal to you that Knowledge is very important, because we learn every day.
And I am appealing to those of you who still have the capacity to increase in your academic training on this field to go ahead and do it.”
The speaker, however, warned any quack doctor caught or operating without licences would be arrested and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others, nothing that the assembly did want see any quack doctors operating in the state and lawmaker would tolerate toeing with the life of any citizen because every life is very important.
He, therefore, tasked them that there was need for them to acquire more knowledge and more certificates that will guarantee them to do the right thing as far as health is concerned.
While commending PCPA for the honour done to him, he said Nasarawa State government is proud of the association, nothing the government alone could not cater for the health of its citizens.
“Yes, the governor is trying, but your input is very important, and when you travel out of this country, the people you meet at the health sectors are private organizations,” he concluded.
His words, “It is in line with that, that the state government brought a bill to regulate the private health practitioners, so that you operate under a law, so that nobody can challenge you on what you are doing, provided that you are doing the right thing.”
Presenting an award of a community health champion of the year to the speaker, the state chairman of the Private Clinics Proprietors Association (PCPA), Chief Daniel Makpa-Jibrin said they were in speaker office to express their deepest gratitude for his unwavering support and commitment to improving health care services in the state.
While appealing to the state assembly to include the Private Clinics Proprietors Association into the bill if passed into law, he, however, expressed deep concern over multiple taxation on PCPA in the state, urging the assembly to enact laws that would reduce the burden of multiple taxation on them.
