MRTB, Lagos Govt Set to Draw Up Memorandum on Medical Rehabilitation Services
Sequel to Board’s recent meeting with the special adviser to the Lagos state governor on social development, Mrs Onafowokan Joyce, as a result of the Board, MRTB’s recent surveillance exercise in the state. The S.A on social development had called for a meeting involving the Lagos state Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) and Lagos state Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), Non Governmental Organizations and foundations involved in Medical Rehabilitation practices to further deliberate on matters bordering on Regulations, professionalism and the recent seal up notice issued to some rehab homes and foundations catering for children with special needs.
The Meeting which held 28th of February, 2018 had in attendance, representatives of the Board, led by the Registrar/CEO Mrs Olufunke Akanle and other representatives drawn from the concerned NGOs, Foundations and Rehabilitation homes as well as the representatives of the Lagos state government. The Registrar in her speech addressed matters bordering on quackery, impersonation of Medical Rehabilitation professionals and the need to check the rehabilitation services as being rendered by these homes and foundations, she emphasized the need to check the suspected substandard health delivery services by some NGOs, Rehab Homes and Foundations, this she pointed out, can only be achieved if all NGOs, Rehab Homes and Foundations involved in Medical Rehabilitation services submits to the regulations of the Board, being the only Federal agency empowered by law to regulate the Medical Rehabilitation practice in the Country.
While corroborating the Registrar’s emphasis on the need for regulation of the Medical Rehabilitation services within the Rehab Homes, NGOs and Foundations, all the representatives of the NGOs, Rehab Homes and Foundations suggest that there be a synergy formed between the Board, MRTBN, the Lagos state Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) and Lagos state Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), as all the prerequisite for operating these homes, foundations and NGOs may now be contained in a single document that covers both of Lagos state and the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria. It was then agreed by the representatives of HEFAMAA, LASODA and the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria to go look into the possibilities of this proposed synergy as to be able to properly address the issues.
A re-convergence of all the stakeholders at a later date is to be announced, this is also expected to have the representatives of the Board, MRTBN and the Lagos state agencies in attendance, to give a final report and suggest ways forward.
BY MRTB IT Unit, Tolu Ajiboye
