From Musa Muhammad Kutama, Calabar
The State Taskforce on Health Quality and Anti-quackery has sought collaboration with the Cross River Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to strengthen advocacy on health quality as well as nib all forms of quackery in the state.
The task force called for the partnership during the coordinator led a five-member delegation on a courtesy visit to the state NUJ leadership, recently, at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre in Calabar.
Addressing the NUJ leaders, at the secretariat the State Coordinator of the Taskforce, Dr. Dan Abubakar, said the body was inaugurated on March 14, 2024, at the behest of the State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, to enforce adherence to guidelines that promote health quality, promote and facilitate accreditation of the state’s health institutions, regulate and streamline free medical outreaches in the state, among others.
He said the high rate of cancer, kidney and liver diseases to the patronage of substandard health services, Dr Abubakar appealed to the media professionals to lend their expertise in re-orienting the public from unprofessional health services in the state.
Assured his team is doing a lot in terms of advocacy to health stakeholders like hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and even patent medicine dealers, as well as disabusing the public of the idea of patronizing quacks for their healthcare needs.
He, however, informed the force had concluded arrangements to begin a clampdown on illegal, unfit and unregistered health facilities across the State, with Ben Damare Clinic in Ekori, Yakurr local government area, their first point of call.
Responding, the chairman of the state council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Archibong Bassey, thanked them for deeming it necessary to partner with journalists in the fight against quackery in Cross River state.
She lauded the Proactive efforts, which she described as a welcome development that will enhance health quality for the benefit of citizens and residents of the state.
She assured of Cross River NUJ’s preparedness to partner with the Anti-quackery team in sensitizing the public and deepening advocacy against quackery in the health sector of the state.
“We will do our best to complement government efforts in repositioning the health sector,” noting that the present administration is already doing a lot to improve the all-important sector,” the NUJ chairman assured