The Rivers State Government has closed down five hospitals and a drug store in Port Harcourt and other areas. This action was taken due to alleged child trafficking and operating without proper licences. Seven suspects, including the operators, were arrested.
The government said the arrests came after a secret investigation by the state Anti-Quackery Committee, with help from security agencies. This followed reports from the public. The ministry said it will work with the police to make sure all suspects face justice.
Vincent Wachukwu, the Chairman of the Anti-Quackery Committee and Permanent Secretary Designate of the Rivers State Ministry of Health, shared this information at a press conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Wachukwu said some of the hospitals that were shut down were run by unqualified people. These individuals performed surgeries and gave out drugs to unsuspecting patients.
Illegal Operations Exposed
At the briefing, Wachukwu was joined by Prof. Ureh Oparaodu, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association, and Dr Hope Avundah, co-chairman of the Anti-Quackery Committee. Wachukwu explained that some operators were offering training for aspiring nurses without the necessary qualifications.
He revealed that one of the closed facilities was involved in child trafficking. The operator was accused of hiding dead babies and trading them for living ones. She deceived mothers by telling them their babies had died during childbirth.
The hospitals that were shut down include PLARIV Hospital on Kreigeni Road in Omoku, Good Shepherd Hospital on Nkaru Street in ONELGA, and Blessed GoodNews Clinic on 31 Bonny Street in Port Harcourt. Others are ESTATE Clinic in Okahia Estate, a drug shop in Ndele in Emohua LGA, and EL DONA Hospital in Elekahia, Port Harcourt City LGA.
Wachukwu also mentioned a serious case involving a 20-year-old girl who died after a drug store operator injected her with an unknown substance.
Wachukwu said, “At EL DONA Hospital in Elekahia, the owner was operating without registration. She was involved in child trafficking. All staff were arrested for prosecution. We have sealed the facility, and we will support the police to ensure she is prosecuted.
“From our investigation, this woman has been involved in child trafficking. Women go there to give birth. She has dead babies that she exchanges for live ones. She tells women that their baby died and shows them a dead baby instead of their live baby.”
Community Support
Wachukwu continued, “We also visited a drug shop in Ndele, Emohua LGA. This case is serious because the operator is untrained. She allegedly gave injections to a 20-year-old girl, leading to her death. The girl had just finished Secondary School and was waiting for university admission.
“We sealed PLARIV Hospital on Kreigeni Road in Omoku, ONELGA. It has 10 beds. We received tips about activities there. We found that it was run by a non-medical practitioner from Plateau State.
“He performed surgeries without training or a licence. He also ran a training school for auxiliary nurses. We discovered over 60 people were training there without proper certification.”
Wachukwu expressed satisfaction with the fight against quackery in Rivers State over the past two years. He praised the police, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the media for their support.
He noted, “We have sealed about six healthcare facilities this time and arrested about seven individuals. We will not stop fighting. Although there is pushback, we are making progress.”
Wachukwu warned that any NGO, private hospital, or religious group wanting to provide free health services must get permission from the Ministry of Health. He said anyone not following this rule will face consequences.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇