Lagos to clamp down on unregistered alternative medicine practitioners

The Lagos State Government, through the Traditional Medicine Board (LSTMB), says it will begin its clamps down on unregistered practitioners of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in every part of the country.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Public Affairs Officer of the board, Segun Ogunleye on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the government is set to enforce the directives of the National Council on Health (NCH), which mandates all practitioners of Complementary and Alternative Medicine to register their operations or face the full wrath of the law, as prescribed by the National Council on Health.

Speaking recently in Lagos about the NCH directives, which he said were part of the resolutions reached at the 62nd meeting of the Traditional Medicine Practitioners held in 2019 in Asaba, Delta State, Registrar of the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board, Mr. Olorunkemi Kadiku, said the board is giving unregistered practitioners in the state till the end of March to complete their registration.

According to him, all Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practitioners including product manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, and retailers are required to regularise their practice, as well as register their premises with the Traditional Medicine Board, or risk their premises being sealed.

“Any practitioner that fails to comply with this directive to register with LSTMB, would be treated as defaulter and such premises sealed off, including confiscation of products, in line with the council’s decisions,” he said.

Speaking further on the issue, Kadiku, who is also a member of the state’s Primary Health Care Board, disclosed that the Traditional Medicine Board has equally complied with other directives of the National Council, mandating all Traditional Medicine Boards to establish notable professional units or sections, in their offices, to be in charge of coordination, regulation and control of CAM practice and products.

The units, according to the Board helmsman, include: Traditional Medicine Practice, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practice, Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practice, Research Development, Herbal Complementary Medical Products and Commercialisation.

Explaining further, the Registrar said the board “has equally gone ahead to implement the council’s resolution by registering and licensing Milyash Alternative Specialist Clinic at Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island, as the first Complementary and Alternative Medicine Clinic, in the state”, adding that “the Board is also in the process of registering other Facilities that have applied to it, for registration.”

According to Kadiku, the LSTMB was established by the state government in 1980, to oversee the development, promotion, monitoring, regulation and integration of traditional medicine practices into the healthcare of the state. (Channels TV)