Kano Shuts Down 35 Private Clinics Over Illegal Operations

(Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf. Photo by punch News)
Kano State's private health regulator has closed more than 35 clinics and hospitals in the last 12 months for breaking the rules.

Acting Director General Hajiya Khadijah Said told the News Agency of Nigeria in Kano on Tuesday.

The Kano State Private Health Institutions Management Agency, known as PHIMA, has sanctioned more than 100 facilities in total.

Some were punished for small mistakes.

The 35 that were shut down had serious problems.

The main ones are running without a licence, failing to renew yearly registration and hiring staff who are not qualified.

Some closed facilities can reopen once they fix the problems.

Those with serious breaches can be removed from the register for good.

The owner who holds the professional licence will also be barred from opening another facility.

PHIMA covers hospitals, clinics, maternity homes, labs, dental centres, beauty salons, spas, gyms and traditional medicine practitioners.

It works with other agencies and security men to shut down illegal clinics.

One clinic that was sealed and delisted reopened somewhere else, and a state task force caught it.

The agency plans to inspect more often across all 44 local government areas.

Said says more money and vehicles would help.

She urged private health providers to get their licences, renew on time and use only qualified staff.