By Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
The Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Phillip Emeka Ovuoba, says the state government is intensifying efforts to eradicate medical quackery in rural communities through a fresh recruitment of over 2,000 qualified health workers across various cadres.
Dr. Ovuoba, who disclosed this in an interview in Abakaliki on Tuesday, said the recruitment is part of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s commitment to ensuring that only trained professionals handle health-related services in Ebonyi communities.
According to him, the fight against quackery has reached an advanced stage, with anti-quackery task forces already operating in collaboration with local councils and the Ministry of Health to identify and shut down illegal health facilities, particularly in Ohaukwu and Ivo Local Government Areas, where unqualified practitioners are reportedly more prevalent.
“The only way to end quackery is to provide qualified health workers and make government facilities functional. We are improving health posts, increasing medicine supplies, and expanding coverage so that people no longer rely on unlicensed providers,” Ovuoba stated.
“We are proposing that the state government engage 2,000 health workers spread across these cadres.
“Many of our health workers are retiring, and we want to ensure there’s no gap in manpower while the revitalization of facilities is ongoing. Any moment from now, the state will begin employing more health workers, including medical doctors,” Ovuoba said.
According to him, the recruitment forms part of a comprehensive plan by Governor Francis Nwifuru’s administration to modernize the state’s healthcare infrastructure under the Primary Health Care Revitalization Project.
He maintained that Ebonyi’s revitalization approach stands out nationwide because it goes beyond cosmetic renovation to deliver modern, fully equipped facilities capable of providing quality care.
The Executive Secretary further revealed that Ebonyi has been selected among ten states for the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMI) — a federal program supported by the wives of the President and state governors.
He explained that the initiative targets communities with high maternal and perinatal mortality rates, often worsened by quack practices, and will deploy trained nurses, midwives, and community health workers to rural areas to replace unqualified practitioners.
Dr. Ovuoba appealed to residents to patronize government-approved health centers rather than unauthorized clinics, noting that Ebonyi has established functional primary healthcare centers in all 171 political wards with support from the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
He reaffirmed that the administration’s ultimate goal is to achieve universal health coverage and eliminate quackery by ensuring accessible, reliable, and professional healthcare across the state.
“With the support of our governor and the First Lady, who has championed free maternal and child health services, Ebonyi is setting a new standard for community healthcare in Nigeria,” Ovuoba said.