Ogun govt shut 19 private hospitals

The Ogun State government has closed down 19 privately-owned  hospitals in different parts of the state for operating illegally.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Nafiu Aigoro,  made this known while explaining  displeasure  at the defiance of more than half the number of private health facilities in the state to register with the state Ministry of Health in the delivery of health care services to the people.

Aigoro, who lamented the refusal of the owners of the affected health facilities to register or re-validate them, said the closure was in the interest of the people, during a visit to the area by the Monitoring Team of the Department of Hospital Services.

He said record had shown that maternal mortality rate was rising  in the State following the activities of quacks in the sector, adding that the enforcement was not targeted at a particular set of people or facility, but to ascertain their level of compliance and ensure those culpable were decisively sanctioned.

According to him, “’The monitoring team has shut down a total number of 19 private health facilities in Ijebu North, Ijebu Ode, Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North and Imeko Afon Local Governmet Areas respectively in recent times, adding that the exercise will continue until compliance was ensured across the 20 Local Government Areas of the State’’.