Wike Orders Crackdown on Quack Hospitals and Doctors in FCT, Reminds Pregnant Women of Free Health Insurance
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered a total crackdown on unregistered hospitals and fake medical personnel operating in the FCT.
Wike gave the directive following the death of a pregnant woman after a caesarean section at Afolmi Hospital, an unregistered private facility in Durumi, Abuja.
He said that moving forward, anyone found operating or working in an unregistered health facility must be arrested and prosecuted.In a statement released on Saturday, the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, described the incident as unfortunate.
He also reminded pregnant women that they can access free healthcare under the Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS).
“In the FCT, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups are enrolled free of charge into the FHIS.
This gives them free access to all services under the Basic Minimum Package of Health Services (BMPHS) at Primary Health Care (PHC) centres,” Olayinka said.
He also noted that several hospitals across the FCT, including Gwarinpa, Nyanya, Abaji, and Kuje General Hospitals, have been designated as Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEONC) centers, offering cesarean sections and other critical services free of charge.
“Our pregnant women are again urged to take advantage of this free scheme and avoid unregistered hospitals and quack doctors,” he added.
The late Chekwube Chinagorom, 35, was brought dead to the Asokoro District Hospital after undergoing a caesarean section at Afolmi Hospital.
Investigations by the Private Health Establishments Registration and Monitoring Committee (PHERMC) revealed that Afolmi Hospital was operating illegally and under unsafe conditions.
During inspection, only one staff member, Mr. Simon Elisha Godiya, a Junior Community Health Extension Worker (JCHEW), was found on duty.
He claimed that the surgery was performed by one Murtala Jumma along with another unidentified individual.
All attempts to reach Murtala Jumma were unsuccessful. Shortly after, officers from the Nigeria Police, Durumi Divisional Headquarters, arrived and took over the case.
The police are now investigating the incident, including verifying the qualifications of those involved and the circumstances leading to Chinagorom’s death.
