The Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria (ACHPN), Kaduna State Chapter, has expressed deep concern over the increasing number of illegal private health technology universities operating across Kaduna State.
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna on Wednesday, the Chairman of ACHPN, Kaduna State Chapter, Comrade Aliyu Abdulrasheed Umar, noted that only 25 health technology schools or colleges are operating legally as against more than 60 illegal schools.
He warned that the operations of these fungal schools represent a serious threat to public health and professional standards within the community health sector.
“As of today, we have only 25 recognized schools. More than 60 health technology schools or colleges are functioning without board accreditation, posing a serious health challenge.
“These schools claim to train community health professionals without the approval of the Community Health Professionals Registration Board of Nigeria (CHPRBN).
“We have identified several illegal institutions in various local government areas, which mislead the public and produce unqualified personnel. This law promotes quackery and undermines the quality of healthcare delivery in our communities,” he said.
The association has submitted a comprehensive list of unaccredited schools to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education of Kaduna State, urging immediate action to: checkmate and close the illegal institutions in collaboration with security agencies and local government councils.
The President also said that they advised the ministry to publish the list of duly recognized and accredited health institutions in the state and restrict clinical training in public health centers only to students of approved institutions.
Umar also asked parents and guardians to check the accreditation status of any school before enrolling their wards to avoid wasting time and resources on unrecognized programmes.
“The ACHPN remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of the community health profession and will continue to work with the Ministry of Health and the CHRN to ensure that only qualified professionals serve the people of Kaduna State,” he added.
The association also called on the media to help raise public awareness about the dangers of patronizing unaccredited schools and the need to maintain professional health standards.
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