The Rivers State Government has shut down a hospital in Omagwa, Ikwerre Local Government Area, run by an agriculturist, as part of its ongoing crackdown on illegal medical facilities.
The Commissioner for Health in Rivers State, Dr. Adarze Oreh, at a press briefing in her office, said the hospital is among the six health facilities recently sealed by the state’s Anti-Quackery Committee, established by the Ministry of Health in April.
Among the facilities shut down is an unregistered clinic in Ogale, Eleme, where the operator not only provided medical services without proper supervision but also ran an educational program to train unlicensed practitioners.
The operator, lacking the necessary qualifications, was unable to meet the standards required for a full medical license
Another facility in Aleto, Eleme, was run by a retired nurse with a PhD. Despite her educational background, the nurse had no legal certification to operate a medical center and also ran a school on the side.
In the same area, another unlicensed practitioner also ran a clinic, further fueling concerns about quackery in the state.
Similarly, a facility in Komkom, Oyigbo, managed by two foreigners and a Nigerian, was found to be recycling syringes and needles, posing severe public health risks.
A sixth facility in the Afam area of Oyigbo was run by a Nigerian with foreign medical training but no certification from Nigerian medical authorities, nor a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
