The Rivers State Government has sealed five health facilities and a patent medicine store across the state over alleged medical quackery, child trafficking, impersonation and other illegal activities.
It also arrested seven suspects in connection with the operation.
The affected facilities are PLARIV Hospital and Good Shepherd Hospital in Omoku; Blessed GoodNews Clinic and ESTATE Clinic in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, respectively; EL DONA Hospital in Elekahia, Port Harcourt; and a patent medicine store in Ndele, Emohua Local Government Area.
The Chairman of the Rivers State Anti-Quackery Committee and Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, disclosed this during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
He said the facilities were identified through intelligence reports, complaints from residents and investigations carried out by the committee with support from security agencies.
Wachukwu explained that the closures were not based solely on a lack of registration or licences.
According to him, investigations uncovered alleged offences including the operation of health facilities by unqualified persons, unlawful surgeries, certificate forgery, impersonation, illegal training of auxiliary nurses and alleged child trafficking.
“We sealed about six healthcare facilities, and I have mentioned the names. We arrested about seven persons in all,” Wachukwu said.
One of the most serious cases, he said, involved EL DONA Hospital in Elekahia, Port Harcourt, where the proprietor is alleged to have engaged in child trafficking.
Wachukwu alleged that women who delivered babies at the facility were sometimes told their newborns had died, while
