The Rivers State Government has intensified its war against medical quackery, shutting down five hospitals and a patent medicine store while arresting seven suspects over alleged child trafficking, illegal medical practice and operations without valid licences.
The latest crackdown, carried out by the State Anti-Quackery Committee in collaboration with security agencies, exposed what health authorities described as a disturbing network of unqualified practitioners endangering lives and exploiting vulnerable patients across the state.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Chairman of the Anti-Quackery Committee and Permanent Secretary-Designate in the Ministry of Health, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, said investigations revealed that several of the affected facilities were operated by individuals with no recognised medical qualifications, yet they performed surgeries, prescribed medications and administered treatments to unsuspecting members of the public.
More alarming, according to the committee, was the discovery of an alleged child-trafficking operation at EL DONA Hospital in Elekahia, Port Harcourt, where the proprietor was accused of swapping live newborns with dead babies and falsely informing mothers that their children had died during delivery.
Wachukwu said all staff members found at the facility were arrested, while the hospital was immediately sealed pending prosecution.
He alleged that the operator had for years exploited desperate mothers by presenting deceased infants as their own while illegally selling healthy newborns.
The committee also sealed a patent medicine store in Ndele, Emohua Local Government Area, following allegations that its operator administered an injection containing an unknown substance to a 20-year-old woman, resulting in her death. The victim, who had recently completed secondary school and was awaiting admission into a higher institution, reportedly died shortly after receiving treatment.
Another facility, PLARIV Hospital in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, was found to be operating without registration and allegedly run by a non-medical practitioner. Investigators discovered that the proprietor was conducting surgeries and operating an unauthorised training programme for auxiliary nurses, with more than 60 trainees reportedly enrolled.
Other facilities shut down include Good Shepherd Hospital in Omoku, Blessed GoodNews Clinic on Bonny Street, Port Harcourt, Estate Clinic in Okahia Estate, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, and the patent medicine store in Ndele.
Health experts have repeatedly warned that quackery remains one of the gravest threats to healthcare delivery in Nigeria, contributing to avoidable deaths, medical complications and loss of public confidence in the health system.
The Rivers Government said the latest operation underscores the deadly consequences of patronising unlicensed facilities, where untrained individuals often masquerade as healthcare professionals, exposing patients to life-threatening risks.
Wachukwu noted that the state had recorded significant progress in its anti-quackery campaign over the past two years but warned that illegal operators continued to devise new methods to evade detection.
He commended the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the media for supporting the campaign against illegal healthcare providers.
The government also cautioned non-governmental organisations, religious bodies and private groups intending to conduct medical outreaches or health interventions in the state to obtain prior approval from the Ministry of Health.
According to the committee, the fight against quackery is not merely an enforcement exercise but a critical public health intervention aimed at protecting residents from exploitation, preventable deaths and criminal activities disguised as healthcare services.
