The Rivers State Government has shut down 21 health facilities and arrested three persons for operating without registration and below the minimum standards set by the state Ministry of Health.
CDA News Nigeria reports that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, disclosed this on Monday in Port Harcourt at the ministry’s Anti-Quackery Committee third-quarter press briefing.
Wachukwu said the action followed surveillance reports of more than 150 facilities operating without registration and supervision across four local government areas: Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre and Etche. The sealed facilities comprise eight hospitals, five maternity homes and eight diagnostic centres.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that Wachukwu said the owner of Kambel Hospital in Abara, Etche, and Golden Era Hospital had no licensed health professional, such as a doctor or nurse, working at the facilities. He added that 16 other facilities were sealed as they were unregistered and operating below the minimum standards under the Rivers State Facility Registration Act.
He said only about 20 per cent of registered health facilities comply with the mandatory annual inspection and renewal of certificates of standards.
The permanent secretary directed all registered facilities to display their Certificates of Standards prominently, and urged residents and organisations to seek care only at facilities with verified certificates. He also appealed to the public to report suspected quackery or unsafe medical practices to the ministry.
The ministry said the exercise continues its anti-quackery campaign to remove unregistered facilities and those operating below standards or with untrained personnel. The suspects had not been charged at the time of filing, and the allegations against them are unproven.
CDA News Nigeria will update this story as more information emerges.
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