Dirty, unlicensed hospitals mostly run by quacks —Oyo govt

Oyo State government has warned Nigerians against patronising unlicensed, dirty hospitals, saying most of them are run by quacks.

Oyo State Health Commissioners, Dr Azeez Adeduntan gave the charge after the Oyo State Task Force on Private Health Facilities had inspected 10 hospitals and medical laboratories and closed six of them.

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The health facilities were in Moniya, a suburb of Ibadan, and Oyo town and closed some for offences ranging from non-registration of the premises, unhygienic hospital environment, improper disposal of medical wastes and failure to have qualified medical staff on ground.

Dr Adeduntan, speaking through Director, Secondary Health Care, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr Adebisi Ayoola, said many of the reported cases of untimely deaths that gets to his ministry were victims of quackery in medicine.

Noting that Oyo State government was committed to ensuring that people are healthy all the time, he assured that all government-licensed private health facilities have their license of practice displayed in conspicuous places for people to be able to identify them.

He declared: “There is a basic prerequisite all health facilities are expected to meet. One of it is that each hospital is expected to having its registration certificate hung in a place for people to see that they are licensed to practise. So patients should be on the lookout for such things to identify hospitals to patronise.

“Also, the plan is on to have a logo of Oyo State to be able to identify facilities that are registered just like the NHIS logo for its accredited facilities.”

Dr Adeduntan, however, urged people to feel free to report hospitals that are manned by quacks or negligent in patient care, assuring that their identity will not be divulged.

“It will safeguard the state and also prevent quackery practices,” he declared.

He also called on private health facilities to practice within the law, urging patients to be free to ask about their ailments, drugs being administered and to be promptly referred to a higher hospital in cases where necessary.