THT: The Somaliland House of Elders, Gurti, has raised concerns over the immense profusion of quack doctors in the country
While discussing the Health bill which is part of its current session’s agenda whose limelight is the state of health services in the country, the plight of unqualified doctors , the elders agreed on the urgent need for the government to look into the matter.
Addressing the matter Elder Dirir said, “Doctors treating people should be checked and the Health Professionals Agency should ascertain the knowledge of these people.
Adding that he is aware of some people who graduated from Mogadishu University, then went to Europe and the United States where they worked as taxi drivers for 20 years or more and upon returning home to Somaliland they assumed the titles of Doctor specializing in the treatment of Ear Nose and Throat-ENT or Stomach ailments etc
“Apart from the problems these quack Doctors inflicting on their unsuspecting patients is the prominence accorded their arrivals advertisment by asorted media in the country” said Elder Dirir
In total acquisance with his coleague elder Hassan Mohamud stated that the public health risk to citizens is the many drugs prescribed by these quack doctors
“You go to some doctor in the country, and they prescribe bagfuls of various drugs which rather than treating excerbate or create other diseases.
Said he ” We have heard or seen people who after treatment failure here went to neighbouring Ethiopia for a month of washing out the medicine prescribed in Somaliland and then pronounced healthy without any othet treatment”
The Guurti elders concluded by asking the government to establish mechanisms to regulate medical proffesionals that will give skills examination teeth to the Health Professionals Agency
Somaliland is host to a myriad of alleged medical proffessionsals whose foreign background is touted in advertisements though nobody verifies their claims.
Anothet major problem is in the sale of medicines which is by a large number of pharmacies whose operators completely lack related skills.