Anambra shuts hospitals where ‘fake’ doctors conduct ‘illegal’ operations

Two “fake” medical doctors have been arrested for operating illegal health facilities in Anambra state.

Speaking with journalists on Saturday, Afam Obidike, commissioner for health in the state, said the two hospitals located in Alor, Idemili South and Adazi-Enu in Anaocha LGA have been shut down.

Obidike said security operatives and members of the Anambra Joint Enforcement Team (ANJET) raided the facilities and arrested the suspects on Friday.

He said one of the suspects, identified as Igwe Ogbonna, owner of Favour of God Hospital and Maternity, was discovered to be a fake doctor without any knowledge of medicine.

He said Ogbonna was also using the facility as an unregistered nursing institution.

The second suspect was arrested following a complaint written to the ministry about the deaths of patients in the health facility.

“Following investigation, it was discovered that Ogbonna is not even a medical doctor and does not have any medical knowledge,” NAN quoted Obidike as saying.

“He also used his hospital as a nursing school, where students pay as much as N70,000 to N100,000  to study nursing. Some of the student nurses we met at the facility confirmed this.

“On Okwara, the second suspect, the president-general of Alor community, chief Emmanuel Ojukwu, wrote to the ministry complaining about incessant deaths recorded at Bright Land Hospital.

“Okwara first claimed that he was a homeopathic doctor, but later admitted that his medical certificates and license were forged when he was being questioned.”

The commissioner said five illegal health centres have been shut down so far, adding that the purpose of the exercise was to ensure that both private and government hospitals are operating on appropriate standards.

“It is unfortunate that death is an irreversible course and I do not understand why people who are not medical practitioners will continue to waste people’s lives because of greed and quest to make money through illegal means,” he added.

“We are sending out this warning to those operating illegally and parading themselves as medical doctors to close down their hospitals or face the full wrath of the law. Anambra is not a place for quacks to practice.”

He commended the community leaders and vigilante groups for alerting the government and urged residents to report illegal activities in their areas.