The Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board has closed down two traditional birth attendant facilities for violating practice regulations.
The board sealed the facilities as part of an operation aimed at addressing non-compliance with the code of conduct for traditional medicine practice in the state, as stated on the government’s official website.
The two traditional birth attendant facilities, located at No. 58 Willoughby Street, Ebute-Metta, and 12 Ogunnaike Street, Agege, were sealed during the enforcement operation.
Mrs. Adams Aisha, leading the LSTMB’s inspectorate team, emphasized that the facilities were closed to safeguard public health and safety in the state.
She mentioned that the inspectorate team coordinated with personnel from the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps to ensure a prompt and efficient response in safeguarding the well-being of Lagosians.
Adams emphasized that the Board is committed to shielding the public from unscrupulous traditional medicine practitioners. They aim to encourage responsible utilization of traditional medicine for the benefit of all through sustained crackdowns and ongoing initiatives.
She said, “The Board’s operation is rooted in its commitment to create a structured Traditional Medicine practice that is respected, standardised, documented, modernised and protected.”
Adams encouraged both practitioners and the general public to collaborate in upholding the highest standards while prioritizing the well-being of patients seeking treatments.
On Sunday, the Lagos government announced its intention to impose sanctions on traditional medical practitioners operating in the state who fail to register their businesses with the Traditional Medicine Board.
The Registrar of LSTMB, Babatunde Adele, conveyed this in a statement on January 21.
The government directed all traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine practitioners to formalize their registration by visiting the agency’s head office on or before Friday, February 6, 2024.
“The order for registration was necessitated owing to the increasing and unbearable level of quackery in the field of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine,” Adele had said.