By Dorathy Tor
As one of the measures to curb quackery in the medical profession, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Benue state chapter, has introduced an innovation called the Digital Help Desk.
Speaking during the unveiling of the desk on Wednesday at the NMA Secretariat in Makurdi, Chairman of the association, Dr Ushakuma Anenga, said the digital help desk has several channels to improve communication between the association and the general public.
According to him, the innovation became necessary because too many lives were being lost on a daily basis, due to the activities of quacks, who parade themselves as doctors, carrying out all manner of surgeries and medical services.
He said using the channel of the digital help desk, members of the public can report incidents of medical quackery with their call phones, WhatsApp message, SMS or the website.
Anenga explained that, there are staff that 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 channel 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.
He stated that other services include: If a patient wants to confirm if a doctor is a real one or a quack; where to get hospital services in Benue state; where to find a dermatologist, cardiologist, gynaecologist, oncologist or any specialist in Benue state; in addition to reporting a case of medical quackery.