The Edo State Healthcare Regulation and Monitoring Agency (EDOHERMA) has shut down Jess Royal Hospital in Benin City over alleged operation without registration with the appropriate regulatory authorities.
Speaking with journalists, the Chief Executive Officer of EDOHERMA, Dr Adesuwa Urhoghide-Edigin, said the hospital was closed after the agency discovered that the facility had operated for over 10 years without statutory registration.
According to her, the hospital was neither registered with the Edo State Ministry of Health nor with EDOHERMA.
She said the agency discovered the unregistered hospital during a monitoring exercise at an orphanage located in the same building as the facility.
Urhoghide-Edigin explained that during an engagement with the hospital’s owner, the agency was informed that the facility had not been registered with the state government.
She said the owner reportedly told the agency that he was a member of the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP), noting, however, that membership of the association does not amount to statutory registration or authorise anyone to operate a healthcare facility in Edo State.
According to her, the operator also told the inspection team that health challenges had prevented him from completing the registration process.
She said the inspection revealed poor infection prevention and control practices, cobwebs on the ceilings and walls, rusted and deteriorated ward equipment, badly damaged mattresses, and no evidence of routine fumigation or pest control.
The hospital was also found to have no valid and serviceable fire extinguisher, emergency preparedness plan or established referral system.
EDOHERMA said the deficiencies raised serious concerns about patient safety and the facility’s ability to respond appropriately to emergencies.
The agency consequently directed the hospital to immediately stop all medical operations and gave the facility two weeks to commence the official registration process with the agency and address the identified infrastructural, environmental, equipment and health-standard deficiencies.
“Jess Royal Hospital would not be allowed to resume healthcare operations until it satisfactorily meets the applicable regulatory requirements,” the agency said.
Urhoghide-Edigin said patient safety remained the agency’s overriding priority, stressing that no healthcare facility would be allowed to compromise established health, sanitary and operational standards in the state.
