HEFAMAA assures on quality healthcare delivery
…Urges patients to speak up against poor treatment
The Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that health facilities across the state deliver quality, ethical, and patient-centred services, even as it charged residents to actively participate in safeguarding their own healthcare rights.
This position was emphasised during a one-day Sensitisation Campaign and Town Hall Meeting on “The Roles and Responsibilities of HEFAMAA in Lagos State,” held on Tuesday at the Ikeja Local Government Secretariat.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of HEFAMAA, Dr. Abiola Idowu, represented by Mrs. Oladunni Omonike Olutola, Deputy Director of Health Education, said the agency’s mission extends beyond regulating hospitals; it also involves empowering citizens to recognise and assert their rights within the health system.
“Every patient has the right to be treated with respect, to understand the nature of the treatment being administered, and to be fully informed about their care,” Idowu said. “When people know their rights, healthcare workers are more conscious of their responsibilities.”
She urged Lagos residents to reject intimidation, unprofessional behaviour, or neglect from healthcare providers, stressing that mutual respect between patients and caregivers is vital to achieving positive health outcomes.
According to her, the state government continues to invest heavily in the health sector, from upgrading infrastructure to training personnel, but the success of these efforts depends largely on the attitude and commitment of frontline health workers.
“We continuously train doctors and nurses on professionalism and patient relations, but we also remind them that a good attitude attracts patients while a bad attitude drives them away,” she stated.
Idowu further explained that government hospitals and health centres exist primarily to serve the public, noting that “if patients stay away, health workers will have no one to attend to.”
Also addressing participants, Mr. Richard Olusanya, Chief Nutrition Officer at HEFAMAA, provided insights into the agency’s operations and regulatory framework.
He explained that HEFAMAA, established in 2006, monitors and accredits both public and private health facilities across Lagos to ensure compliance with approved medical, environmental, and staffing standards.
“Our mandate is to ensure that only qualified personnel manage health facilities. The person in charge of a hospital must be a licensed doctor or nurse; we cannot allow unqualified individuals to treat patients,” he said.
Olusanya added that the agency conducts biannual inspections of facilities and issues operating certificates only to those that meet the required standards. He also highlighted the introduction of a QR code verification system, designed to promote transparency and public trust.
“By scanning the QR code displayed at any registered health facility, you can instantly verify its authenticity, see the owner’s name, address, and even send your feedback directly to HEFAMAA,” he explained.
Olusanya encouraged participants to take the message back to their communities, stressing that grassroots awareness is key to eliminating quackery and improving public confidence in the healthcare system.
The meeting, attended by community leaders, health workers, and local government representatives, is part of HEFAMAA’s ongoing outreach initiative aimed at deepening public understanding of the agency’s role and fostering a culture of accountability in Lagos State’s healthcare sector.
Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency.
