The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered a crackdown on unlicensed medical doctors and quack hospitals operating in Abuja.
Wike issued the directive following the case of a pregnant woman, Chekwube Chinagorom, who died after undergoing a caesarean section at a hospital in Abuja on Friday.
According to a statement signed by Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, the caesarean section was conducted at Afolmi Hospital in the Durumi area of the nation’s capital city.
Olayinka narrated that Chinagorom delivered a baby at the hospital and was later referred to Asokoro District Hospital for care, adding that she arrived dead at the Asokoro District Hospital.
“Investigation conducted by the Private Health Establishments Registration and Monitoring Committee (PHERMC) revealed that Afolmi Hospital was not duly registered.
“At the time of inspection, only one staff member, Mr. Simon Elisha Godiya, who identified himself as a Junior Community Health Extension Worker (JCHEW), was present on duty.
“Mr. Godiya reported that the surgical operation was performed by one Murtala Jumma in conjunction with another unidentified individual.
“All attempts to reach Murtala Jumma via phone were unsuccessful.
“Shortly after the PHERMC team arrived at the facility, a detachment of officers from the Nigeria Police, Durumi Divisional Headquarters, also arrived.
“The case was immediately handed over to the police for further investigation. The officer in charge requested that the PHERMC team accompany them to the station to formally record the incident, and the team complied accordingly,” the statement read.
Olayinka added that “henceforth, anyone found to be operating or working in an unregistered health facility should be arrested and prosecuted.”
