Ekiti State Government on Thursday closed four hospitals over alleged non-compliance with ethics of medical practice.
The affected hospitals in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, and Ilawe Ekiti were accused of not being manned by qualified medical doctors.
Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, said the exercise would be carried out on a continuous basis to stamp out quackery in the state and save residents of the state from avoidable deaths and unnecessary health complications.
Yaya-Kolade, represented by the Director, Hospital Services and Training, Dr Rufus Adetoye, spoke during the unscheduled visit of the Medical Anti-quackery Committee set up by the Ekiti State Government to some hospitals in Ado Ekiti and Ilawe Ekiti.
The commissioner, who said the Dr Kayode Fayemi administration had zero-tolerance for quackery in medical practice, said, “The intention of the state government through the committee is to stamp out quackery in the state and to eradicate quackery in our dear state and the way innocent people are being killed must stop”.
She said, “Unqualified doctors were met at some hospitals visited and this warranted sealing up the facilities.”
She added, “We are using this medium to enlighten the public that you are endangering your life if you visit or patronize any of the sealed hospitals which are not manned by qualified doctors. You should rather visit government hospitals for quality health care”.
Some patients at the hospitals pleaded with the state government to step up sensitization so that people would not fall victims of quack doctors.