According to the unions, number of illegal and unqualified health institutions in the country poses a great danger to citizens, as they had produced a considerable number of unqualified medical personnel.

They threatened to stage a protest if the Federal Government failed to take action on their demand within 14 days.

The unions described the illegal institutions as glorified secondary schools established by selfish individuals as business ventures to the detriment of the lives of millions of Nigerians.

“We hereby call on the Federal Government to direct the founders to shut down their glorified Junior secondary schools called Colleges of Health Technology.

“ They should be shut down before our 14-day ultimatum expires or expect our mass action in their respective locations.

“We shall not only protest to the Federal Ministry of Health, we shall equally extend the protest to Presidential Villa.

“It is imperative for our leadership to address this issue as a matter of urgency; the rate of disease outbreaks in Nigeria informed our concern on the state of institutions producing health officers.

“Our confidence in the standard of the training of the medical doctors in Nigerian Universities pose no fear but the quality of other professionals in the sector demands serious attention.

“It is important to check the competence of health institutions across the country to ensure the readiness of the sector to combat these numerous outbreaks as well as their possible prevention and control.’’

According to the unions, an independent investigation on the state of the Schools and Colleges of Health Technology in the country, revealed the invasion of the private sector, thereby posing more threat rather than complementing government’s efforts.

They described some private investors in the system as saboteurs, adding that their activities were responsible for the “drastic fall’’ in the standard of the health profession in Nigeria.

They stressed that the establishment of Colleges of Health Technology without adequate training facilities, full or partial accreditation by Regional Regulatory body, the West Africa Health Examinations Board (WAHEB), was a violation of the law.

They identified some of the Colleges of Health Technology alleged to be illegal include Dr Sulaiman Adamu Memorial College of Hygiene and Environmental Sciences, Bauchi; Goodwill Cornerstone College of Basic and Advanced Studies, Bwari, FCT, Abuja, and . Saham College of Health Science and Technology, Zuru, Kebbi State.

Source: NAN