From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Cross River State Government has shut an illegal clinic and maternity over the death of a patient after surgery.
Safe Hand’s Maternity Clinic was sealed by the Cross River State Task Force on Health Quality and Anti-Quackery after investigations revealed multiple violations of healthcare regulations.
These violations include the conduct of surgical procedures in a substandard environment and the operation of the facility without the requisite approvals.
Acting on a petition linking the clinic to the death of a patient who underwent surgery at the centre, the enforcement team, led by Dr. Dan Abubakar carried out an unscheduled inspection of the facility located at No. 21 Iyata Street, Calabar.
The inspection uncovered alarming breaches of professional and operational standards.
The clinic, owned by Inyang Ekeng, Community Health Extension Officer, was found to be operating from a converted three-bedroom apartment that had been transformed into a six-bed maternity ward without any licensed nurses on its staff.
Further investigations revealed that surgical procedures were being carried out by Sunday Abeng, a registrar with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).
The task force also discovered that the facility among other infractions was operating beyond its approved scope of practice and had admitted an abandoned stroke patient despite lacking the capacity and infrastructure to manage such cases.
Speaking after the inspection, Dr. Abubakar expressed concern over the conditions observed at the facility, describing it as a serious threat to public health and safety.
“What we found here is completely unacceptable. Facilities operating under these conditions are potential death traps and have no place in a healthcare system that prioritizes patient safety and quality service delivery.”
He added that the Governor Otu administration has made significant interventions in the health sector warning against patronizing unaccredited clinics.
Following the enforcement action, the clinic was sealed while the owner and attending doctor were granted time to evacuate all admitted patients.
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