Conviction of ‘fake doctor’ will strengthen anti-quackery efforts – NMA

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) says the conviction of a 54-year-old ‘fake doctor’ will strengthen the association’s work against medical quackery.

Its first Vice-President, Dr Benjamin Olowojebutu, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

Olowojebutu said the NMA was elated at the conviction of the fake doctor, noting that it served as a strong warning to those practising without a licence or impersonating a medical professional.

He said, “The hand of the law would catch up with them soon.

“To see a man that has practised medicine as a doctor for many years, and the hand of the law eventually catches up with him.

“We know that this will send a strong message to other culprits in those communities and would strengthen the work we are doing at NMA.

“We appreciate the judiciary for this particular one. And we hope that when other cases come to them, they can expedite this kind of action quickly,” he said.

According to him, the judgment is a testament that NMA’s cohesion with the government is yielding fruits in reducing medical quackery and sanitising the medical profession.

The NMA leader noted that the issue of quack doctors was assuming a troubling dimension in the country, noting its prevalence had shifted from rural communities to urban communities.

Olowojebutu said medical quackery had a devastating impact on individuals, families and communities, causing deformities, incapacitation, life-threatening conditions, and even death.

He reiterated NMA’s passion to offer quality healthcare services to Nigerians by Nigerians, stressing “not by any fake doctor”.

Olowojebutu emphasised that robust collaborative efforts were required to eliminate the menace, appealing to the public to contact NMA if they suspect anyone practising medicine without requisite qualifications in their communities.

A quack is any individual who provides healthcare services for which they do not hold the requisite qualifications and credentials to discharge.

According to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria is one of the most vulnerable countries at high risk of medical quackery.

Supreme News reports that a 54-year-old fake medical doctor, Martins Ugwu, who impersonated and used the medical certificate of his ‘best man’ to secure employment has been sentenced to four years and two months imprisonment.

Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Jabi, pronounced the sentence in a ruling on Tuesday.

The convict used the fake certificates to get employment in the Federal Civil Service in 2006 and rose to a senior position in the Federal Ministry of Health before he was found out in 2015.

The judge ordered Ugwu to refund N17.2 million, which he received as salaries during his fraudulent service.

Justice Kutigi held that should Ugwu be unable to repay the money, he should be made to serve an additional one year in jail.

He was prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).