Anambra State Government over the weekend, arrested two suspected quack doctors, Mr Anayo Okwara of Bright Land Hospital and Maternity Limited; Mr Igwe Ogbonna of Favour of God Hospital and Maternity, operating illegally in Alor community, Idemili South Local Government Area of the State.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE gathered that the raid was led by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Ben Obidike, accompanied by some security men, as well as the members of Anambra Joint Enforcement Team led by its State Co-ordinator, Retired Air Vice Marshal Ben Chiobi who was represented by the Director of Operations of the team, Mr Chukwuma Okpalezeukwu.
Recall that recently, the Anambra state Ministry of Health shut down two hospitals and another one in Amasea community for operating illegally and declared the operators wanted.
It was gathered that Mr. Okwara was arrested by Alor Vigilante men, while Mr. Ogbonna was arrested by the Health Commissioner and his team.
Speaking during the exercise, Dr. Obidike who narrated that the Ministry has already closed five hospitals for operating illegally and being run by quacks, thanked the immediate past and current Presidents-General of Alor Community for their hard work which resulted in the success of the exercise.
The Commissioner insisted that Anambra is not a place for quacks to practice and noted that they were determined to eliminate quackery in the state.
Dr. Obidike urged the people to be vigilant and equally called on various communities in the state to emulate what Alor community has done by monitoring what is going on in their various communities.
He commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for giving them all the necessary support they desire to excel in the assignment and revealed that the suspects will be charged to court for them to answer for their crimes.
The President-General of Alor Peoples Convention, Chief Emmanuel Ojukwu told the ABS that after much complaints and incessant deaths in Bright Land Hospital Limited, they had a course to query Mr. Okwara’s medical claims and discovered that all his certificates were forged, hence their letter to the state Ministry of Health and thanked Dr. Obidike for his swift response.
Mr. Okwara claimed that he is hoemopathic doctor but agreed that his certificates were forged when grilled by the Commissioner.
In the case of Igwe Ogbonna of Favour of God Hospital and Maternity, who operates in Alor and Adazienu Communities, he is not even a doctor or have any medical knowledge, but he also uses his facility at Adazienu community as both a hospital and a nursing school, where students pay between seventy and hundred thousand naira to study nursing without any teacher, except himself, as confirmed by some student nurses met at the facility.
The Director of Medical Services, Anambra state Ministry of Health, Dr. Ugochukwu Chukwulobelu was also present during the exercise.
