Niger Govt Seals Off Private Hospital Over Unethical Surgeries, Quackery

Niger State Government has closed down a Private hospital over what it refers to as unwholesome practices.

During an inspection tour of Private Clinics in Minna the State Capital, Head of the Supervisory Team, who is also the Director Medical Services and Training, State Ministry of Health, Dr. Baba Uthman announced the closure of the facility owing to negligence and incompetence showed by the Proprietor of the hospital who is currently away overseas and is said to have hired another Doctor to look after the patients.

According to him “the Ministry is waging war against quackery. The hospital, “we discovered that the Private hospital ‘Ultimate Care’ situated at Barikin Salle in Minna, has been carrying out surgery on patients without the necessary equipment.

“The environment is also very unhealthy and without Doctors on ground to properly manage patients after surgery thereby leaving them under the care of nurses who assume the role of Doctors.

“Unfortunately, the hired doctor is not always around to properly provide medical services to the patients in dire need of attention thereby leaving nurses to manage the work of a Doctor.”

Findings have it that one of the patients who was on admission, had undergone a total of four abdominal surgeries from different Private clinics with the fourth one done at Ultimate Care.

In a statement signed by the Information Officer, Ministry of Health, Muhammad S. Abubakar, the Consultant complained that the rate at which surgeries are conducted on patients in Private hospitals is alarming.

Dr. Uthman therefore called for concerted efforts by relevant authorities to stem the menace adding that “most of these surgeries are for monetary gains”.

He said the Ministry of Health had started the routine exercise in Minna and would extend it to all local government areas in the State.

He advised Nigerlites to desist from visiting uncertified Private facilities where quacks are capable of complicating their illnesses and should instead patronize government hospitals with certified, highly experienced and qualified personnel in different fields of medicine.