Nasarawa residents demand closure of illegal health facilities

Some residents of Nasarawa State have called on the State Government to close down all illegal health facilities to prevent further loss of lives.

The residents also urged the government to make the closure of such a routine exercise in order to tackle the activities of quacks and improve their health condition.

They made the appeal on Wednesday in Keffi, Keffi Local Government Area of the state.

However, the residents lauded the state government for shutting down some illegal health facilities in some local government areas of the state as part of measures to tackle quackery in the state.

The state government recently shut down over 40 private hospitals, clinics and laboratories in Karu Local Government of the state over not adherence to due process.

The state government through the Ministry of Health closed 20 illegal health facilities in October in Akwanga Local Government Area of the state.

The residents noted that the measure would go a long way in tackling quackery as well as improve the health condition of people in the area.

Mr Samson Moses, a resident, said that the state government’s efforts in tackling the activities of quacks across the state deserved commendation and called for its sustenance.

“Our appeal is that we want the state government to make the closure of illegal health facilities to be a routine exercise in order to tackle quackery and improve on the health of the people of the state,” he said.

Another resident, Mrs Zainab Mohammed, said that the closure of the illegal clinics would sanitise the health sector in the state.

She urged those involved in the illegal operation of health facilities to desist from such in the interest of the wellbeing of the people.

Dr Haruna Ekom, who led the inspection team from the state Ministry for Health during the closure of illegal health facilities in Akwanga, decried the increasing rate of quackery in the health sector.
According to him, the illegal activities in the sector are affecting the health status of the people.

Ekom, who is the Director of Clinical Service in the ministry, said that the exercise was not aimed at witch-hunting anybody but to ensure that ethical practices are observed in the sector.

The director said the state government appreciates and acknowledges the contribution of private health establishments, noting however that the right thing must be done to sanitise the system and save lives.

He restated government’s commitment to initiate more health policies in order to save human lives and called on the public to report quack medical practitioners to the ministry for appropriate action.