The Edo State Government has sealed a private hospital in Benin City after officials discovered that the facility had allegedly been providing medical services for more than 10 years without obtaining the required government registration.
The hospital, Jess Royal Hospital, was found to have no registration with either the state Ministry of Health or the Edo State Healthcare Regulation and Monitoring Agency, EDOHERMA, the agency said.
EDOHERMA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Adesuwa Urhoghide-Edigin, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the facility came under scrutiny during a monitoring visit to an orphanage operating in the same building.
She said the hospital proprietor acknowledged that the facility was yet to be registered, although he reportedly cited his membership of the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners.
Urhoghide-Edigin said such membership did not confer legal approval to operate a healthcare facility.
A detailed inspection was subsequently carried out by the agency’s Medical Services Department, led by its director, Dr Peter Evbuomwan. The exercise revealed several conditions which EDOHERMA said posed risks to patients and staff.
Among the findings were inadequate infection-control measures, deteriorating medical equipment, damaged mattresses and poor environmental conditions. Inspectors also found no functional fire extinguisher, emergency preparedness plan or established referral arrangement.
Following the inspection, the agency directed the hospital to suspend every form of medical operation and allowed the operator two weeks to commence the registration process and rectify the identified shortcomings.
EDOHERMA said the facility would remain closed until it satisfied the applicable regulatory requirements, adding that a follow-up inspection would determine its level of compliance.
The agency warned private healthcare operators that professional association membership does not replace statutory registration and approval.
