The Rivers State Government has vowed to fish out fake doctors and clamp down on facilities offering medical services without authorisation and the requisite qualifications to do so.
This is as the State Ministry of Health Anti-quackery Committee said it sealed four facilities posing as hospitals and clinics in different parts of the state for violating medical and health services procedures.
The committee said one of the sealed facilities operated both as a clinic, carrying out medical procedures such as surgery, and also as a non-governmental organisation.
The Director of Medical Services and Chairman of the Committee, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, disclosed this at a news briefing on the activities of the committee in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Wachukwu stated that the mandate of the committee is to investigate, fish out all the quacks operating in any guise anywhere in the State and take appropriate disciplinary measures, including prosecution in collaboration with relevant agencies.
Wachukwu said leveraging on this, the committee visited many facilities with the backing of the state government but expressed annoyance that despite its concerted efforts and the government to rid the state of activities of quacks in the health sector, some individuals still continue in the illicit act.
Wachukwu condemned the action of a patent medicine dealer who forced a pregnant woman who came to her to give birth, resulting in complications in her womb, which led to her death.
He stated, “Miss Rejoice Ogbia is a patent medicine dealer in Aluu (Ikwerre LGA. We visited to investigate the petition against her. She was alleged to be engaged in the administration of IV medications and traditional birth attendant services, rendering all manner of services that she was not supposed to render.
“Even though sometimes you need to catch them red-handed, because there was nobody watching. But there have been petitions against her, but she claimed she denied ever carrying out such practice. So she was, however, issued a stern warning, educated on the need to refer any case beyond OTC medication to the nearest centre, and never engaged in such activities again.”
He further said, “It will surprise you to note that these practices are still going on in so many areas, many local governments, including Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, and its environs, unabated. Based on this, the committee has continued its activities in visiting these facilities to look into what they are doing and take necessary actions.
‘As part of that mandate, on Friday last week, based on reports from individuals, corporate bodies, civil society organisations, even religious bodies, we went into action. We identified some of those facilities that were reported.
“Top on that list is a clinic they call Bristol Clinic and Maternity located at N0 1 Redemption Close, Omachi, Rumuodomaya (in Obio/Akpor LGA). This facility is an unregistered six-bed hospital operating in a three-bedroom apartment run by one Kingsley Ugwu, who obviously is a quack because the prefix to his name is Mr.
“This man paraded himself as a doctor and boasted of running maternity and surgical services. The registration of this facility was revoked by the Rivers State Ministry of Health over a decade ago.’
He continued, “Mr Kingsley Ugwu, the so-called Managing Director is not a Medical Doctor, and there were no licensed medical personnel, nurses, or pharmacists. Yet he carried out surgeries in a poorly equipped facility.”
He further said the facility has no infection prevention and control.
The anti-quackery committee chairman added, “So we went there, and that facility was sealed, and Mr Ugwu was arrested. He is being investigated, and at the end of this investigation, the law will take its course.”
