The Cross Rivers State Government says it has arrested fake doctors for performing unauthorised surgeries in Ogoja LGA of the state.
This was disclosed at a news conference by Dr. David Ushie, the Special Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade on Health Matters alongside the Chairman of the Cross River State Task Force on Quackery and Related Violations in the Healthcare Delivery System, in Calabar, the state capital.
Ushie said the task force received information about the illegal activities of the fake doctors at the Aladim community in Ogoja LGA.
“I received a tip-off concerning activities of some ‘wonder surgeons’ in Aladim community of Ogoja LGA.
“My team left Calabar by 12:30 am of September 8, 2022, to ensure the offenders did not escape as they usually did.
“We immediately contacted the Chairman of Council, Hon Emmanuel Ishabor, and the DPO of Ogoja Area Command, Supol Horsfall, who both confirmed the incident,” he stated.
Continuing, he said, “After a full day of interviews and facility assessment, we made the following discoveries: There were 10 patients on admission. Nine of the ten patients had eleven ‘surgeries’,
“Amongst the nine, three patients had four ‘surgeries’ for ‘hernia’. The majority of the seven had ‘surgeries’ for ‘appendectomies’. One patient had two surgeries’ for ‘appendix’ and ‘hernia’.”
He added, “At least five of the 11 surgeries were clearly recognisable as superficial skin cuts giving patients the false sense that they had surgery (-ies).
“At least six persons conspired in these fake surgeries, and they carried out ‘surgical operations’ on all nine.”
He said the suspects were in police custody while the patients treated by the alleged doctors had been moved to the Ogoja General Hospital for better treatment.
According to him, the task force inaugurated in 2020 had responded to 22 reports, arrested seven violators, and closed down 13 healthcare facilities on account of various violations of the regulatory laws.
