The Oyo State Government has presently sealed five private health facilities in Ibadan, the state’s capital, according to a statement by the state government on Friday, July 21.
It was reported that the five health facilities were closed off as part of steps taken towards protecting the health and well-being of residents of the state.
Mr Rotimi Babalola, the Director, Press and Public Relations at the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, had said in the statement, that the affected healthcare facilities were closed off due to their lack of compliance with regulatory standards.
Babalola had also stated that the facilities had been found guilty of employing unqualified and unlicensed doctors.
According to Babalola, several cases of malpractice, misdiagnoses and inappropriate treatments being administered to unsuspected patients were discovered while inspecting those facilities.
The Oyo State government has meanwhile, reassured residents in the state, of its commitment to ensuring that its health care services were adhered to, in the strictest standards of quality and professionalism.
Babalola had said:
“We will not permit any compromise in medical standards that could put peoples lives at risk. Our action in shutting down these hospitals proves our commitment to maintaining quality healthcare delivery within our state.”
A commendable step taken in the right direction for the government of Oyo State.
Note however, that the gospitals that had been shut down were private hospitals owned by individuals in the state.
Does it mean that the state-owned hospital satisfied protocols during the inspection and the state government can pledge that the services rendered in its hospitals are top notch, more than what can be gotten from private firms?
This question is crucial as Nigeria, as a whole, is widely known for its understaffed, ill-equipped hospital care across states.
Citizens need to be assured that the stringent rules meted to private firms are also applied to the government-owned establishments too.
