Only 10 percent of health facilities operating in Edo are registered – Obaseki

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said only 10 percent of the over 7,000 private health facilities in the state are registered with the Edo State Ministry of Health, restating the need to step up regulation to ensure quality, efficient and effective healthcare delivery to Edo people.

Obaseki said this during the inauguration of the five-man monitoring committee of the Medical Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), at the Government House, in Benin City where he restated that his government is undertaking a holistic reform of the health system and that the committee will play a vital role in rethinking the role of the government in healthcare provision in the state.

He said, “This committee will be pivotal in the implementation of some aspects of our health transformational agenda. The medical practice we inherited from the colonial masters was the one which combined both the functions of regulations and operations at that time.

“Government in the past had the responsibility of regulation and providing medical services at the same time, but that has changed over the years. Now the government is no longer the prime provider of medical services. There are more services provided in the medical space by private individuals than government.

“As a state, we feel that the government should now emphasize and focus more on regulatory functions and less as an operator.”

He decried, “Current data shows that we have over 7,000 private health facilities in Edo State which include hospitals, medical centers, nursing homes, laboratories, pharmacies, patent medicines stores, amongst others. Sadly, only about 730 are currently registered with the Edo State Ministry of Health which stands for about 10 percent.”

He continued: “As government, we cannot say we know the kind of care our citizens received in the State from health practitioners. We have already kick-started a series of activities that will enhance the regulatory capacity of the Ministry of Health.

Obaseki said the terms of reference for the committee include to ensure that any person performing clinical activities in Edo State is duly registered and licensed by MDCN; report cases of all unethical practices and conduct to MDCN and report quackery to law enforcement agencies in the State, among others.”