THE Ogun State government has closed down no fewer than 26 private hospitals in six different local government areas of the state.
The hospitals were shut following their defiance to government directive to register or revalidate their facilities in accordance to private hospitals and other Health Establishments Registration Edict of 1988.
The order for the closure was made by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Nafiu Aigoro, when he led the monitoring team of the Department of Hospital Services to Odeda and Abeokuta South LG areas.
Aigoro represented Dr Solomon Sokunbi, said the closure of the hospitals was in the overall interest of the people.
He stated that record had it that maternal mortality death are on the increase in the state following the activities of quackery in the health sector.
While adding that the enforcement was not targeted at a particular set of people or facilitates, but to ascertain the compliance level of the exercise and shutdown those who refused to register or re-validate their facilities.
“The monitoring team has shutdown a total number of 19 private health facilities in Ijebu North, Ijebu Ode, Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Imeko Afon and the six recently shutdown in Odeda L.G.” He said the “exercise will continue until the 20 LG across the State is well covered.”
Appreciating the monarch of Oni Meko of Imeko Land, Oba Oyediran Olanite, for supporting the state government towards eradicating quackery activities in the state health sector, Dr Aigoro said government would not hesitate to pursue any measure to enhance good and qualitative healthcare service delivery.