The Anambra State Government announced on Friday that it had closed over 30 illegal health facilities operated by unqualified individuals, aiming to protect residents’ health.
Dr. Afam Obidike, the State Commissioner for Health, made this known at the 2024 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Anambra State Chapter, and the 5th Prof. Festus Nwako Memorial Lecture.
Obidike highlighted that Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration established the State Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency to combat quackery and eliminate illegal medical practices.
“The issue of quackery is a major concern for the government, and we are doing all we can to eliminate it. So far, we have closed down over 30 health facilities in the state and discovered that the owners and operators of these hospitals are not even medical doctors,” Obidike stated.
He continued, “These quacks were making so much money because they did not have a conscience. They were carrying out surgeries and toying with the health and lives of our people. We are appealing to the NMA to partner with the state government to eliminate quackery in the health sector to save people from untimely death and improve their life expectancy.”
Obidike affirmed the state government’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery, mentioning the ongoing construction, renovation, and equipping of public hospitals statewide, as well as the massive recruitment of health workers to enhance access to health services.
