EDOHERMA, UBTH strengthen healthcare regulation to protect patients
…collaborate to tackle medical quackery in Edo
By Osho Olatomiwa
The Edo State Healthcare Regulation and Monitoring Agency (EDOHERMA) and the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) have strengthened efforts to combat medical quackery, improve patient referrals and promote safer healthcare delivery across Edo State.
The development followed a presentation by EDOHERMA Chief Executive Officer, Dr Adesuwa Urhoghide-Edigin, at a meeting of UBTH’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Healthcare professionals discussed referral failures, delayed treatment and complications resulting from practices beyond facilities’ approved scope of services.
Urhoghide-Edigin expressed concern over the growing number of complicated cases referred from private facilities, saying the trend raised questions about care quality and the activities of unqualified practitioners.
She said EDOHERMA had established systems for facility registration, compliance monitoring, investigations and enforcement to ensure providers meet regulatory standards. She urged healthcare professionals to recognise their limitations and promptly refer patients to better-equipped facilities instead of performing procedures beyond their competence.
She added that the agency prioritised guidance, stakeholder engagement and corrective measures to help facilities meet requirements, while firmly enforcing regulations against medical quackery and practices that endanger lives.
A Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at UBTH, Professor Michael Aziken, advocated a supportive approach to regulation, urging regulators to promote professional improvement and institutional development rather than rely unnecessarily on punitive measures.
The Head of UBTH’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr Enabudosu, and other members commended Urhoghide-Edigin for her presentation and commitment to improving healthcare standards.
The engagement ended with a commitment by the UBTH team to collaborate with EDOHERMA to strengthen referral systems, identify unsafe practices and promote professional accountability across Edo State.
