The Cross River State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to prohibit quackery in the health sector, a move aimed at protecting residents from unqualified medical practitioners and improving healthcare service delivery across the state.
The bill, titled “A Law to Prohibit Quackery Practices in the Health Sector of Cross River State, Establish the Health Monitoring Task Force, and for Other Related Matters,” was sponsored by the Deputy Leader of the House and member representing Abi State Constituency, Davies Etta.
The legislation was passed during plenary on Wednesday after lawmakers considered and adopted the report of the House Committee on Health, Nutrition and Food Security before its third reading.
Presenting the committee’s report, the Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Nutrition and Food Security, Hillary Bisong, said the proposed law was designed to eliminate unlicensed medical practice, strengthen regulation of the health sector and safeguard the lives of Cross River residents.
Bisong said the committee organised a public hearing where health professionals, civil society organisations and members of the public overwhelmingly supported the bill.
He said, “The legislation became necessary due to the activities of fake and unqualified practitioners, which have led to wrong diagnoses, poor treatment, avoidable deaths and declining public confidence in healthcare services.”
Bisong added that the committee expanded the bill from three parts and 10 sections to four parts and 15 sections to make it more comprehensive.
He said, “The committee recommended that enforcement of the law should align with existing national laws regulating medical and allied health professions.”
Lawmakers who contributed during the debate described the bill as a timely intervention, saying recent cases involving unqualified persons carrying out medical procedures underscored the need for stricter regulation and enforcement.
Speaker of the House, Elvert Ayambem, commended the sponsor and other lawmakers for initiating the legislation, describing it as “one of the landmark private members’ bills of the 10th Assembly and a demonstration of the Assembly’s commitment to people-centred legislation.”
Following clause-by-clause consideration by the Committee of the Whole, the House unanimously adopted the committee’s report.
The Leader of the House, Francis Asuquo, subsequently moved a motion for the bill to be read for the third time. The motion was seconded by the Deputy Leader, Davies Etta, and approved through a voice vote.
The Speaker thereafter declared the bill passed and directed that a clean copy of the legislation be transmitted to Governor Bassey Otu for assent in line with the legislative process.