The Enugu State Ministry of Health has apprehended a fake doctor and shut down an unlicensed hospital in Obollo-Etiti, Udenu Local Government Area, for operating illegally and endangering patients’ lives.
In a statement released on Sunday and signed by the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Ugodu Avemaria, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, led the operation, which revealed alarming evidence of the facility’s poor and unsafe conditions.
The statement identified the impostor as Mr. Kenneth Mamah, who was running the facility under the name St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, located in the Ada-ulo Obollo-Etiti community.
“The enforcement team, acting on credible intelligence and complaints from concerned residents, stormed the facility recently, where they discovered that the owner has been conducting surgical procedures in his consulting room and other medical practices in an environment grossly unfit for any form of operative care.
“The self-proclaimed doctor had no medical licence, no professional training, and no authorisation from the state ministry of health,” Avemaria said. “Despite this, he routinely performed surgical operations, endangering the lives of residents who unsuspectingly sought care.”
According to the statement, residents of the community were shocked to discover the fake doctor’s true identity, having portrayed himself as a trained medical professional for years.
The statement quoted Director of Medical Services, Dr Amaechi Mgbodile, as saying during the operation that “the closure aligns with the state government’s broader campaign to eliminate quackery, ensure patient safety, and enforce minimum standards across all health facilities.”
Dr Mgbodile emphasised that no facility is permitted to conduct surgery without “proper registration, qualified health personnel, sterile equipment and approved theatre environment.”
The fake doctor has been handed over to security agencies for investigation and possible prosecution, as part of Governor Mba’s zero-tolerance policy on quackery, the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Udenu Local Government Area, Aka Eze Aka, assured the public that he would continue to intensify surveillance across the council to fish out unlicensed practitioners who are hiding in rural communities.