By ISHOLA MICHAEL, Bauchi

After operating a clinic illegally for 20 years in a remote village, Mansur, with unsuspecting villagers patronizing, two quack medical personnel have been arrested for running a clinic without permits in Bauchi by operatives of the Bauchi State Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Bauchi State Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr Nuradeen Abdullahi while parading the suspects before the general public including Journalists, on Tuesday in Bauchi, said that the two suspects were apprehended by his men following a tip-off.

He explained that the village head of Mansur, a village in the Alkaleri local government area, through his representative, reported the case of suspected illegal operation of a clinic in the village by the two suspects who have over the years acted as medical personnel.

The NSCDC Commandant explained tha “The village head of Mansur through his representative reported an illegal operation of a clinic that resulted in the death of a woman, late Mrs Nasiya Garba, 25 years old resident of the village.”

He further said that “The NSCDC Divisional officer in Alkaleri LGA immediately swung into action after receiving the complaint and arrested the two suspected illegal medical practitioners, 48 years old Yakubu Gajere who is working with 30 years old Jude Abarshi.”

Nuraddeen Abdullahi added that “Preliminary investigation revealed that Nasiya Garba was an asthmatic patient who went to the clinic for medical attention, was administered an injection unprofessionally and immediately became unconscious which eventually led to her death.”

The Commandant pointed out that investigation is ongoing and the suspects would be charged to court as soon as possible urging the general public to treat their health matters with seriousness by attending government-owned health facilities.

Yakubu Gajere who is the owner and operator of the clinic in an interview with journalists admitted that a woman died in his clinic but claimed that he was a health worker in the employment of the state government before his disengagement from service during the process of reducing the number of workers in the state by a previous administration in the state.

Yakubu Gajere confessed, “I started operating the clinic without a license or permission for over 20 years now in the village, things have been going on well and this is the first time we lost somebody in the clinic.”

Deputy Director, Public Health in the State Ministry of Health, Abdullahi Danasabe who is the Desk Officer of private clinics said that the clinic was indeed operating illegally without a permit going by the available records in the Ministry.

Abdullahi DanAsabe declared that “Therefore, going by the regulations, the two suspects are not allowed to operate a clinic. As soon as all investigations are completed by the relevant security agencies, the two suspects will be made to face the full wrath of the law.”

He, however, advised members of the public particularly those in the rural areas to watch out for quack medical personnel who normally take advantage of the desperation for medical attention to make money from them, provide unprofessional services which most of the time worsen the health situation and may even lead to death like in the case of late Mrs Nasiya Garba. (Nigerian Tribune)

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