Reps push for 10yrs imprisonment for quack medical practitioners

Members of House of Representatives during Thursday plenary session expressed overwhelming support for the bill which seeks to impose 10 years jail term and N5 million fine on anyone found culpable of engaging pin quackery medical practice across Nigeria.

Dozie Nwankwo, who sponsored rhe amendment of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. M8 LFN 2004, observed that the bill when passed into law will automatically increases the penalty for quackery from N5,000 to N1 million and N10,000 to N10 million respectively and also increase offenders’ jail term to either five or 10 years depending on the severity.‎

Leading debate on the general principles of the Bill, the lawmaker told his coleagues that the purpose is to amend the provisions of Section 17(5) (a) and (b) of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, by increasing the punishment prescribed for offenders.

Section 17(5a) and (b) of the Act prescribed punishments of fines between N5,000 and N10,000 against the practice of quackery and others.

According to him, the amendment sought to bring the punishment prescribed in the Act to conform with the present day realities.

“This bill seeks to upgrade the punishment of offenders as provided for under Section 17(5a) and (b) of the Act by increasing the fines and terms of imprisonment to at least N1 million and five years imprisonment and N5 million and 10 years imprisonment respectively as punishment for the offences provided for under Section 17 of the Act,” he said.

He argued further that no punishment can be severe enough to punish quackery, adding that by increasing the punishment, it would send a strong message to others to desist from such act.

“The truth of the matter is that no punishment can be severe enough to punish quackery in the medical and dental profession. While it is often said that lawyers mistakes end up in prison, doctors mistake end up in the graveyard.

“The consequences of quackery are often times irremediable. A situation where punishments provided for under the Act provides for fine as low as N5,000 and N10,000 is indeed one begging for a review.

“By the passage of this Bill, increasing the punishment prescribed under Section 17 (5a) and (b) of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. M8 LFN 2004, this Honourable House will be sending a very strong message that acts of quackery where medical practice is misrepresented can no longer be condoned. The lives of our country men and women remains sacrosanct and everything should be done to preserve and legislate avoidable deaths out of existence”, Nwankwo argued.

In the Act, those who are not medical practitioners, but used the title of physician, surgeon, doctor or licentiate of medicine for or in expectation of reward and also if the Registrar or any other person employed by the Council wilfully makes any falsification in any matter relating to the register shall be guilty of an offence under the Section.

The bill was read the second time and referred to the House Committee on Healthcare Services for further legislative action.

 

KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja