Rivers Seals Hospital Over Child Trafficking Claims
The Rivers State Government has sealed Manda Hospital at Elelenwo.Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state for its alleged involvement in child trafficking.
This was disclosed by the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, during the ministry’s third-quarter press briefing in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Monday.
He noted that the action followed surveillance reports of over 150 health facilities operating without registration and supervision by the ministry across four LGAs in the state.
The feat came following an enforcement operation by a task force raised by the State Ministry of Health and supported by security operatives.
Wachukwu said, “The operation was linked to suspected child trafficking racketeering, in which a Liberian National revealed the procurement of three children within a month from the facility.
“Investigation found the facility operating without registration and no licenced medical practitioners. Operators were arrested by NAPTIP while the facility was sealed off.”
Also, the government shut down 20 other health facilities across different parts of the state for allegedly operating below minimum standards and without registration.
He stated that, of the 150 health facilities monitored, only about 20 per cent of registered health facilities complied with the mandatory annual inspection and renewal of certificates of standards.
“These 20% include both hospitals, diagnostic centres and maternity homes. Now, a total of 21 health facilities were shut down, with three persons arrested for prosecution by the Ministry of Health across the local government areas.
“The facilities include eight hospitals, five maternity homes and eight diagnostic centres,” Wachukwu stated.
He added, “19 of them were operating without registration and below the minimum standard of the Ministry of Health.
“One facility was registered by the Ministry of Health, but even after registration, it was still operating below the minimum standard. At the time of the visit, there was no licenced doctor nor any other health worker present in the facility.”
Wachukwu listed some of the sealed facilities to include Manda Hospital at Elelenwo.Obio/Akpor.LGA; Vasty Clinic at Omoku (Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA); Danny Clinic in Port Harcourt Township, Havilla Hospital in Igwuruta (Obio/Akpor LGA), Kambel Hospital at Abara Eche, Golden Era Hospital in Igwuruta and Ola Oluwa Hospital in Igwuruta (both Ikwerre LGA).
Wachukwu also said Havilla Hospital in Igwuruta, operated by one Mr Isaac, claimed to be a Ukraine-trained doctor who was conducting free medical outreaches, “but had no Medical and Dental Council licence and was operating without any form of training and in an unregistered facility.
“He was arrested and will also be referred to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria,” Wachukwu stated, among others.
Wachukwu, however, stated that the owner of Serah Maternity, Belema Polo, in Enugu Waterfront, Port Harcourt Township, was warned and directed to undergo further training and licensing.
“Of course, if you know the lady that operates that place, she is a social media influencer, talks so much about women and their treatment, especially in infertility.
“She runs a TBA called Serah Maternity at Belema Polo. She has a patient load of up to a thousand women and daily attendance of almost, if not more than, 200 women.
“Now, because we found out that she had some level of training, we cautioned her and then advised her on the need for proper and more training. We also tried to use her to reach out to other Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) on the need for them to secure proper training because we can’t stop traditional birth attendants completely.
“They have their role to play, and the state government has also played a role in ensuring that they are trained and will continue training them to render proper service. But our goal is to ensure that they don’t cross the red line. They should know where they are supposed to stop and refer to a hospital for proper management so that they won’t be killing our mothers,” he stated.
He reiterated the ministry’s commitment to its regulatory function and to eradicating quackery from the state.
