The Rivers State Government has shut down five hospitals and a patent drug store in Port Harcourt and other parts of the state over alleged child trafficking, and operating without licences, while seven suspects, including the operators, were arrested.

The government said the arrest followed a discreet investigation by the state Anti-Quackery Committee with support from security agencies after reports received from members of the public, saying the ministry will assist the police in ensuring that all the suspects are prosecuted.

The Chairman of the Anti-Quackery Committee and Permanent Secretary Designate, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Vincent Wachukwu, disclosed this at a news briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

Wachukwu said some of the affected facilities visited were manned by non-medical personnel and unqualified individuals, some of whom performed surgeries on patients as well as prescribed and administered drugs on unsuspecting members of the public.

Flanked by the state Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association, Prof. Ureh Oparaodu and co-chairman of the state Anti-Quackery Committee, Dr Hope Avundah, the Permanent Secretary Designate further said some of the operators of such illegal facilities were offering training for intending nurses without possessing any requisite qualification to operate let alone offer training.

Wachukwu disclosed that in the latest facility sealed, the operator under the guise of running a hospital, has been involved in child trafficking to the extent of harbouring dead babies which she exchanged for living one after deceiving their mothers that their offspring had died during delivery.

The sealed facilities listed by Wachukwu include, PLARIV Hospital, located in Kreigeni Road in Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government, Good Shepherd Hospital, Nkaru Street also in ONELGA, Blessed GoodNews Clinic, 31 Bonny street in Port Harcourt.

Others are ESTATE Clinic in Okahia Estate, off East West Road in Obio/Akpor LGA, Patent Drug shop in Ndele in Emohua LGA and EL DONA Hospital in Elekahia, Port Harcourt City LGA.

He said another serious case, a 20-year-old girl who died after the operator of a patent drug store injected her with an unknown substance.

Wachukwu stated, “For the latest one, at EL DONA Hospital, Elekahia in Port Harcourt. The proprietor was operating without registration. She was involved in child trafficking.

“All members of staff of the facility were immediately arrested for prosecution. We have sealed that facility, and then we are going to support the police to ensure she is prosecuted.

“Part of what we gathered from the investigation is that this woman is involved in child trafficking. Women go there to deliver. She has dead babies that she will exchange and tell the woman, maybe if you didn’t hear your baby cry, she will tell them their baby died and will show the dead baby in exchange for their babies and will end up selling the real, live babies.

“She has been doing this until now, but luck has run out for her. The ministry and the Rivers State Government will do everything to ensure this woman is prosecuted.”

Wachukwu continued, “We also visited one patent drug shop in Ndele, Emohua LGA. This one is a very serious case because the operator of this place is not trained. She was alleged to have administered some injectable medication to a 20-year-old girl that led to her death. The girl just finished Secondary School. She wrote JAMB and was awaiting admission.

“A report came to us; we went there, sealed the place and arrested the people we could arrest. The operator was not around. We are still on her trail, and the community is helping us.

“We sealed a hospital called PLARIV Hospital, located on Kreigeni Road in Omoku, ONELGA. It’s a 10-bed hospital. We got some tips concerning the activities going on there. We went there, and then we discovered that the facility is being run by a non-medical practitioner from Plateau State.

“He conducts surgery without training or a licence. He runs a training institution for auxiliary nurses. When we got there, we found over 60 people under his training. We discovered that there was no certificate of standard, no certificate of registration.

“We sealed the facility, and then the proprietor was arrested and is being detained for prosecution.”

While noting that the committee will not rest on its laurels, he expressed happiness that the fight against quacks by the state government in the past two years and counting is recording significant progress.

He commended the police, Department of State Services, operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and media for their unrelenting support to the committee in achieving set goals.

On the number of affected facilities, Wachukwu said, “We have always informed you about the number of facilities sealed each time we go on this operation. For this one, we sealed about six healthcare facilities and I have mentioned the names. We arrested about seven persons in all.

“Now, because we don’t want to rest on our laurels, knowing full well that as you fight, they fight back. It’s just like corruption. You fight corruption, corruption fights back. That is what is happening in the health sector. But by God’s grace, doing the bit we are doing and with your support, I believe we are winning the race,” he stated.

Wachukwu warned that any Non-Governmental Organisation, private hospital or religious body intending to carry out free medical outreach of health programmes of any sort in the state must obtain permission and approval from the Ministry of Health through the office of the permanent secretary and through the office of the director of medical services.

While emphasising that the government will not witch-hunt anyone with genuine and good intentions, he however said Anyone flouting that extant directive should be ready to face the music. (The PUNCH)

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