"Quacks have caused the death of many unsuspecting citizens."

The Chairperson of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Enugu State, Celestine Ugwuoke, has decried the rate of quackery in the medical profession, saying the situation has caused the death of many Nigerians.

Mr Ugwuoke, a consultant radiologist at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu, said the rate of quackery was so alarming that nurses now perform surgery.

"It's unfortunate that some nurses now perform surgery which is outside the field of their training, while some Patent Medicine Shop owners popularly known as chemists now give an intravenous injection to patients," Mr Ugwuoke said on Tuesday at a press conference in Nsukka, Enugu State.

He said Governor Peter Mbah's administration in Enugu State must check the activities of quacks in the state as one of the steps to solve the residents' health problems.

"The state must get rid of quacks and charlatans in the profession to restore dignity and guarantee quality healthcare.

"Quacks have caused the death of many unsuspecting citizens," Mr Ugwuoke said.

The NMA chairperson admitted that the efforts by the association to stem the tide in the past had not yielded the much-needed results due to some factors.

He congratulated Mr Mbah on his inauguration as the Enugu governor and appealed to him to set up an anti-quack task force that would include government officials, security agencies and NMA members to fish out the bad eggs.

He urged the government to ensure adequate remuneration and good welfare for medical practitioners in the country, saying it would discourage the present exodus of health workers.