The Rivers State Government has sealed six medical facilities in the state for operating without authorisation and for not complying with the standards set for them to operate.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, told journalists that the medical facilities engaged in unethical and unprofessional conducts, noting that their activities were uncovered by the Anti-Quackery Committee of the Ministry in Port Harcourt.
Oreh stated that some medical facilities outside Port Harcourt are unlicensed and run by unqualified persons, including those who carry out surgeries without the requisite facilities and supervision.
The affected facilities include; Parley Hospital and Maternity, Ogale, Success Maternity, Aleto, Noble Life Maternity and Computer Test, Aleto all in Eleme LGA, Futurist Medical Centre, Omagwa, Ikwerre LGA, Godbless Hospital Kom-kom and ASHA Specialist Hospital, La Quinta Street, Afam, both in Oyigbo LGA.
The Commissioner also advised individuals and organisations who intend to execute free medical outreaches to apply for clearance from the Department of Medical Services at the Rivers State Ministry of Health.
She stressed that the minimum standard of care and services must be ensured for all citizens and residents of the state, adding that the activities of such medical practitioners poses a great danger to people’s lives.
The commissioner said:“We can see that this perpetrators have gone beyond providing these unprofessional, unethical and disastrous services to the people to providing training, and further proliferating their numbers so that other people can go into other locations and do the same.
“And if you also observe the trend, a lot of them are going out of the main city of Port Harcourt perhaps to evade notice and being brought to book by the authorities”.
She also warned all unregistered facilities to visit the Rivers State Ministry of Health for the conditions and criteria for registration, stressing that the ministry maintains “a zero-tolerance for quacks and unregistered facilities”.
She warned medical doctors and pharmacies against crossing the lines of ethical practices by collaborating with quacks.
“We also warn medical doctors and other health workers who collaborates, train and colludes with quacks and facilities run by unqualified practitioners against crossing the lines of ethical medical practice.
“We also used this opportunity to warn pharmacies and chemist shops who have illegally extended their services to providing consultation services and the administration of intravenous medications and admitting patients to desist from such practices or be brought to book,” she said.