Ondo State Government has directed all private health practitioners operating within the State to register and validate their facilities with the Department of Hospital Services of the Ministry of Health as the Ministry is ready to sanction any unregistered facilities working in Ondo State.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Adeniran Ikuomola made this known during a meeting with the executives of two arms of the private health practitioners working in the State.
Ikuomola noted in his welcome address that the step was necessary to eradicate quackery and enhance sanity in the private practice and the observation made over the years necessitated the meeting with the leadership of the association in order for the mobilization of their members to register their health facilities with the Ministry.
The Permanent Secretary reiterated that the Ministry was ready to enforce the rules to moderate the practices of the private health practitioners to ensure compliance while emphasizing that the action is mainly to engender a healthy health system rendering quality services to the good people of the State.
He sought for the cooperation of the association saying "we want to rely on your association to help us regulate the system and collaborate with the Government to ensure a healthy society and to achieve Universal Health Coverage in our State"
"We are partners in progress, the Government cannot do it alone we need you to give us advice that will help us build the system that will help all of us".
Speaking on quackery, Ikuomola warned that the State would not condone any private hospital training nurses and anyone caught would face the full wrath of the Law.
The Permanent Secretary therefore requested the association to provide the ministry with the details of their personnel.
The Chairman of the Association, Dr. Saliu Oyelami responded that their association did not have any objections to the action of the Government as it would help in sanitizing the private practice in the State while also vouching that their members are fully licensed and registered.
The association urged the Government to bring back the College of Nursing in Akure in order to have easy access to qualified Nurses while also pleading for time to educate their members and ensure total compliance.