NMA declares ‘war’ on quack doctors in Benue

As one of the measures to curb the menace of medical quackery, the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, in Benue State has introduced an innovation called the Digital Help Desk.

NMA, under the chairmanship of Dr Ushakuma Anenga, said the Digital Help Desk has several channels to improve communication between the association and the general public.

The help desk was unveiled on Wednesday at the NMA Benue Secretariat.

According to the Chairman, the innovation became necessary because too many of our people are losing their lives to the activities of quacks who parade themselves as doctors, carrying out all manner of surgeries and killing people.

He said: “Using the channels on our Digital Help Desk, members of the public can report incidents of medical quackery via phone calls, a WhatsApp message, SMS or the website. We have dedicated staff that are on standby to process this information and notify the appropriate agencies for prompt action.”

He added that members of the public could also use the channels to confirm if health personnel attending to them are doctors or quacks, and could also seek information about the location of accessible hospitals anywhere in the state or how to locate a specialist doctor within the state, for those seeking specialist care.

“So if someone wants to confirm if a so-called doctor is a real one or a quack; where to get XYZ hospital services in Benue state; where to find a dermatologist, cardiologist, gynaecologist, oncologist or any specialist in Benue state or where to report a case of medical quackery, the NMA Digital Help Desk will have solutions to these enquiries and more when contacted,” Anenga added.