The Rivers State Government has shut down 21 health facilities after finding that most were operating without registration or failing to meet the minimum standards set by the state Ministry of Health. The facilities include hospitals, maternity homes, and diagnostic centers across Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre, Etche, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government areas. This move is part of the government's efforts to curb quackery and ensure that health facilities operate within the required standards.
According to Dr. Vincent Wachukwu, Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Health and Chairman of the State Anti-Quackery Committee, the 21 facilities comprised eight hospitals, five maternity facilities, and eight diagnostic centers. However, the government has publicly named only some of the facilities. The named facilities include Manda Clinic and Maternity in Elelenwo, Vasty Clinic in Omoku, Danny Clinic in Old Port Harcourt Township, Daba Clinic in Old Port Harcourt Township, Kambel Hospital in Abara-Etche, Havilla Hospital in Igwuruta, Golden Era Hospital in Igwuruta, and Ola-Oluwa Hospital/Medical Centre in Igwuruta.
The ministry said 19 of the 21 facilities were operating without registration and below its minimum standards. It also found a registered facility that was operating below the required standard, with no licensed doctor, nurse, or other health professional present during inspection. This enforcement followed surveillance that identified more than 150 health facilities operating without registration or proper supervision during the third quarter of 2026.
Three suspected quacks were arrested during the enforcement exercise. At Havilla Hospital in Igwuruta, a man identified as Isaac allegedly claimed to have undergone medical training in Ukraine in 2013 but did not have a license from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). The ministry said he was arrested and would be referred to the MDCN for further action. Additionally, the operator of Ola-Oluwa Medical Centre in Igwuruta, Sunday Ogundele, was arrested for allegedly having no medical training or professional license.
The enforcement exercise also involved a joint operation with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) at Manda Clinic and Maternity in Elelenwo. The operation followed allegations of child-trafficking racketeering linked to the facility. A Liberian national reportedly disclosed that three children had been procured from the facility within one month. The ministry said the facility was also operating without registration or licensed medical practitioners.
Inspectors also found that Kambel Hospital in Abara-Etche and Golden Era Hospital in Igwuruta had no licensed doctor or nurse operating at the facilities. Both were subsequently sealed. The ministry has not publicly provided individual reasons for the closure of every one of the 21 facilities. The state government has not released a complete public list of the 21 facilities, with reports quoting Wachukwu referring to 16 other facilities that were sealed for being unregistered and failing to meet minimum standards.
The Ministry of Health requires registered health facilities to obtain a Certificate of Standards and display it at their reception. Wachukwu urged residents and organizations to seek care only from facilities with verified certificates and to report suspected quackery or unregistered medical practices to the ministry. The enforcement is being carried out under the state's regulatory framework, including the Rivers State Facility Registration Law No. 2 of 2019. The ministry said the anti-quackery campaign will continue, including enforcement against facilities that fail to comply with annual inspection and renewal requirements.
Key points
- The Rivers State Government shut down 21 health facilities for alleged quackery and regulatory violations.
- Three suspected quacks were arrested during the enforcement exercise.
- The government urges residents to seek care from facilities with verified certificates and report suspected quackery.
