The Ogun State Government on Saturday said it shut down 26 private hospitals following their refusal to register or re-validate their facilities.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Nafiu Aigoro, who led the Monitoring Team of the Department of Hospital Services ordered the closure of an additional six hospitals in Odeda and Abeokuta South, saying the measures were taken in the interest of the people.
Mr. Aigoro, a medical doctor, said government records show an increase in maternal mortality in the state. He blamed this on the activities of quacks in the health sector. He said of the over 1,000 private hospitals in the state, more than half of them are yet to register or re-validate their facilities.
He said the enforcement was not targeted at a particular set of people or facilities, but to ascertain the compliance level of the exercise and shut down those who refused to register or re-validate their facilities.
“The monitoring team has shut down a total number of 19 private health facilities in Ijebu North, Ijebu Ode, Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Imeko Afon and the six recently shut down in Odeda L.G,” he said.