ICYMI: “We have Registered Over 3,400 Health facilities In Lagos”– HEFAMAA

The Executive Secretary, Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, HEFAMAA, Lagos Dr. Abiola Idowu, revealed that the Agency has registered as many as 3,400 health facilities across the State to deliver various healthcare services to the people.

This disclosure was made at the end of a two-day workshop held in Lekki.

The Executive Secretary explained that first step required to register a health facility with the Agency is an application to the Honourable Commissioner for Health, after which the facility is inspected and if successful, issued a Certificate of Registration.

Dr. Idowu said that health facilities registered by the Agency include Hospitals, Eye Clinics, Optical Centres, Eye Hospitals, Dental Clinics, Dental Hospitals, Medical Laboratories, Diagnostic Centres and Dialysis Centres.

Others facilities, according to her, include Physiotherapy Clinics, Specialist Clinics, Specialist Hospitals, Multi-Specialty Hospitals, Assisted Reproductive Therapy Centres, Nursing/Convalescent Homes, Maternity Centres, Industrial Clinics, Mobile Clinics and Mortuaries.

Idowu went on to explain that the Agency, apart from registering these facilities, also carries out other responsibilities including monitoring and inspection of registered facilities to ensure strict adherence to set standards, revealing that each facility is visited at least twice a year.

Speaking on the purpose of the programme, Dr. Idowu stated that the workshop was a fallout of the Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement landscape assessment carried out in the State and “focused on reviewing the Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement tools and methodologies being used by development partners, programmes and regulatory agencies”.

The Executive Secretary restated the commitment of the Agency to constantly monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of health facilities in the State in an effort to achieve the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda of the present administration.

She also revealed that a Technical Working Committee has been constituted to further review the output of the workshop with a view to making the consolidated Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement tool as well as the Quality approaches generally acceptable to the stakeholders.

Speaking on the benefits of quality assurance, Dr. Godswill Iboma, a Director with the Agency observed that it can help improve health workers’ motivation as they have more ownership and recognition for their work.