ABUJA, Nigeria – The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has issued a stern directive for a comprehensive crackdown on unregistered hospitals and quack medical practitioners operating within the FCT. This decisive action follows the tragic death of a pregnant woman at an unregistered private health facility in Durumi, Abuja.
Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister, Lere Olayinka, disclosed in a statement on Saturday that the minister condemned the unsafe practices leading to the death of 35-year-old Chekwube Chinagorom, who died following a caesarean section at the illegal facility. While the baby was delivered alive and transferred to Asokoro District Hospital for care, the incident has raised serious concerns about the safety and regulation of private health services in the FCT.
The Private Health Establishments Registration and Monitoring Committee (PHERMC), together with the Nigeria Police from Durumi Divisional Headquarters, conducted an inspection of the facility and confirmed it was not duly registered. At the time of inspection, only one staff member, identified as Simon Godiya, a Junior Community Health Extension Worker, was on duty. The surgical operation was reportedly performed by one Murtala Jumma and another unidentified individual, both of whom remain unreachable and under investigation.
Minister Wike has warned that anyone found operating or working in illegal or unregistered health facilities will be arrested and prosecuted. He emphasized the government's commitment to maternal health, noting that the FCT Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS) offers free registration for pregnant women, granting them access to comprehensive maternal care services at designated government hospitals such as Gwarinpa, Nyanya, Abaji, and Kuje General Hospitals. These facilities provide free cesarean sections and emergency obstetric care as part of the FCT administration’s zero-tolerance policy on maternal mortality.
Olayinka urged pregnant women to utilize the free health insurance scheme and avoid patronizing quack doctors and unsafe, unregistered health centres. The tragic death of Chinagorom serves as a grim reminder of the dangers posed by unregulated medical practices.
The case has been handed over to the Nigeria Police for further investigation to identify those responsible for the surgery and to verify their medical qualifications. Authorities are determined to bring justice and prevent future occurrences of such avoidable tragedies.