The Edo State Health Regulatory and Monitoring Agency (EDOHERMA) has warned that health facilities operating below approved standards in the state risk permanent closure and payment of fines. Dr. Adesuwa Urhoghide-Edigin, the Chief Executive Officer of EDOHERMA, gave the warning in Benin City while briefing journalists on the ongoing enforcement exercise across the state. The agency is currently carrying out enumeration and revalidation of health facilities to determine their true status and level of compliance.
According to Dr. Urhoghide-Edigin, the enforcement exercise is not intended to witch-hunt operators but to ensure compliance and safeguard the lives of patients seeking care in both public and private health facilities across Edo State. The agency has sealed over 20 facilities that were operating below standards, but some of these facilities are now working to correct the lapses identified during inspection. Dr. Urhoghide-Edigin emphasized that the agency is also encouraging facilities to know that they are not all punitive and that they are also supportive.
The agency's regulatory mandate extends beyond private hospitals and clinics to include orphanages, shelters, public secondary hospitals, and primary healthcare centres. Dr. Urhoghide-Edigin noted that some of the affected facilities were operating without registration with the state government, while others were registered but could not maintain the standards under which they were licensed. The agency is revalidating health facilities across the 18 local government areas of Edo state to determine their true status and level of compliance.
Dr. Urhoghide-Edigin disclosed that some of the facilities that were sealed were operating without doctors, which cannot be considered a hospital. The agency is trying to ensure that everybody sticks to their scope of services. Where deficiencies are found in public health facilities, the agency would liaise with the relevant authorities to ensure they are addressed. The agency is adopting a collaborative approach and soliciting the support of health operators, Edo State residents, and the media.
The administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo is committed to ensuring that residents have access to healthcare facilities that meet approved standards. Dr. Urhoghide-Edigin emphasized that it is either a facility is standard or not, and that is where their categorization comes in. The agency is working to ensure that only qualified personnel operate health facilities in the state.
Over 20 facilities that were earlier sealed by the agency are now working to correct the lapses identified during inspection. Dr. Urhoghide-Edigin said that when these facilities finish correcting the lapses, the agency would come back to the public to announce that a particular facility has done better. The agency is committed to ensuring that only standard health facilities operate in Edo State.
The Edo State government is taking steps to ensure that residents have access to quality healthcare. The agency's efforts are aimed at ensuring that health facilities in the state meet approved standards, and that only qualified personnel operate these facilities. The government is working to improve the healthcare system in the state, and residents are urged to support the agency's efforts.
Key points
- The Edo State Health Regulatory and Monitoring Agency (EDOHERMA) has warned that health facilities operating below standards risk permanent closure and payment of fines.
- The agency is currently carrying out enumeration and revalidation of health facilities across the 18 local government areas of Edo state to determine their true status and level of compliance.
- Over 20 facilities that were earlier sealed by the agency are now working to correct the lapses identified during inspection.
