‎By Sam Otuonye
‎The Enugu State Government, through its Ministry of Health, has sealed no fewer than four private health facilities (hospitals) in Enugu North Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
‎The Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, Mrs Chidiogo Ugodu, in a statement, on Thursday in Enugu, said that the hospitals were sealed on July 8 over failure to be licensed and meeting necessary regulatory requirements.
‎According to the statement, the ministry has intensified its monitoring and supervision of private health facilities across the state as part of efforts to ensure quality healthcare delivery and compliance with regulatory standards.
‎It said that the renewed exercise was initiated by the Commissioner for Health, Prof George Ugwu.
‎The statement said that the Director of Medical Services, Dr Chinyere Ezeudu, led a team of senior directors from the ministry on an unscheduled inspection visit to health facilities in Enugu North LGA.
‎”The monitoring exercise was aimed at ensuring that all private hospitals and healthcare providers operating in the state comply with statutory requirements.
‎”These statutory requirements included: the renewal of operating licences and proper registration of facilities that are yet to be captured by the regulatory authorities,” it said.
‎The statement said that during the visit, the team inspected seven private health facilities, assessing their operational status, documentation, licensing compliance, and adherence to required healthcare standards.
‎Speaking, the state’s Commissioner for Health, Ugwu, reaffirmed the commitment of the state government under the leadership of Gov. Peter Mbah to protect residents by promoting safe, effective, and quality healthcare services.
‎Ugwu emphasised that the supervision exercise would be sustained across the state to ensure that only duly approved and compliant facilities provide healthcare services to the people.
‎He, therefore, urged all private health facility operators in the state to regularise their operations by renewing expired licences or registering their facilities where necessary.
‎”The ongoing monitoring exercise is not only a regulatory measure but also a critical step towards strengthening the health system and safeguarding the lives of citizens,” he said.
‎It would be recalled that some weeks ago, the state government through the Ministry of Health sealed three illegal health facilities (hospitals) operating without operational licence in Enugu South LGA of the state.