In order to eradicate quackery in the medical profession, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) says doctors will commence full usage of doctors’ stamp with effect from April 1.

The President of the association, Prof. Mike Ogirima, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.

Ogirima frowned at the rate of quackery in medical profession, which had increased disease burden and mortality rate.

He said the identified stamp would contain security features that would differentiate professionals from quacks.

He explained that some security features embedded on the stamp include full name of the doctor, the institution he qualified from and the year.

The president added that any doctor that does not possess or have the stamp latest April 1 would be regarded as a quack.

According to him, from April 1 any medical legal documents emanating from qualified doctors must contain the concerned doctors’ stamp.

“The implication of the stamp is that if you are a medical doctor and do not have the stamp you are a quack.

“With effect from April 1 we expect all documents emanating from doctors all over the country to bear doctors stamp and they should start using it on all medical legal documents.

“The rate of fake practitioners in medical field is on the high side, so effecting the usage of the doctors’ stamp we will be able to curb the menace,” he said.

The president said that in 2017, about 30 cases of fictitious medical reports were discovered at the NYSC camp, which was not healthy for the profession and the nation at large.

He, however, called on perpetrators of this act to desist from it in order to restore dignity to the medical profession and accord patients the desired health, rather than compounding their disease burden and increasing mortality rate. (NAN)