Cross River shuts down clinic after patient dies

The Cross River Taskforce on Health Quality and Anti-Quackery has shut down a private health facility called Safe Hands Maternity Clinic in Calabar Municipality. This action follows reports of a patient dying after surgery at the clinic.

The task force, led by Dan Abubakar, conducted an unplanned inspection of the clinic on Sunday. This was after receiving a petition that a patient died following surgery there.

Safe Hands Maternity Clinic, owned by Inyang Ekeng, a community health extension officer, was found to be a three-bedroom apartment turned into a six-bed maternity clinic. The clinic was operating without licensed nursing staff.

During the inspection, the task force discovered that surgeries were allegedly done by Sunday Abeng, a medical doctor and registrar at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. These surgeries were being performed under poor conditions.

The team also found that the clinic was working beyond its allowed scope. They had even admitted a stroke patient who had reportedly been left behind.

The task force noted that the facility lacked important documents like operational licenses, proper consulting rooms, and adequate office space. There was also poor ventilation, no staff records, and no register of patients treated.

Other issues included missing patient registration documents, no theatre records, bad sanitation, and inadequate waste disposal systems. They also found unqualified staff working at the clinic.

Mr Abubakar shared his worries about what they saw at the clinic. He called these kinds of places "potential death traps" that put innocent people at risk.

He said the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, following the state government's plans, would not allow illegal and substandard healthcare facilities to continue operating.

"The Governor is currently revamping and building modern, well-equipped health centers across the state. Residents are strongly encouraged to seek care at these approved government facilities rather than risk their lives with quack operators," he said.

Mr Abubakar warned that using unaccredited clinics could be like a death sentence, given the dangerous and unhygienic conditions many of them have.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the clinic owner and the doctor present were given time to move all admitted patients before the clinic was shut down.