Cross River shuts medical facility over alleged quackery
The Cross River Ministry of Health has shut down a medical facility in Boje community of Boki Local Government Area over alleged quackery and sub- standard operations.
The state Commissioner of Health, Dr Betta Edu on Thursday in Calabar said, that the state government had warned against the use of healthcare facilities for unapproved health outreaches across the state.
According to her, government would no longer condone operators of illegal hospitals and pharmaceutical stores in Cross River.
Edu added that the state government had taken steps to ensure strict compliance by Private Health Facilities operators.
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“The state government is set to curb the activities of quacks and completely eradicate quackery in the health sector.
“We have issued warning to some others to comply with the regulations as laid down by the state government and the Health Ministry.
“As a ministry, we are going to prosecute the owner of the facility to serve as a deterrent to others.
“Apart from the failure of the owner of the clinic to properly register the facility, he was said to be carrying out health outreaches and surgeries even on rumbling stomach and other petty complaints in the clinic with unqualified personnel,” she alleged.
The commissioner noted that the state had been a cynosure of all eyes in the health sector, and would not hesitate to deal with any operator of illegal hospital.
She said that the ministry had received complaints about the increasing unprofessional practices in the area.
“The illegal clinic was established by the owner without following the laid down regulations; the owner failed to register the hospital with the state’s Ministry of Health.
“The state government will not allow the lives of the people to be endangered,” the commissioner added.
She, however, warned patent medicine stores operating as hospitals and treating patients to desist from such act, adding that such posed great threat to the well-being of the society.
Edu said that anyone caught would be made to face the wrath of the law.
She also called on members of the public to report quacks to the state Ministry of Health for possible arrest and prosecution.
