The Benue State Government has ordered the closure of St. John’s Hospital in Otukpo after officials uncovered what they described as grave violations of medical procedures.
This included a case in which a patient allegedly underwent the removal of both breasts without following approved clinical processes.
Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, confirmed the shutdown on Saturday.
He said the hospital’s operations fell far short of professional standards and that the decision followed an inspection prompted by earlier complaints about unethical conduct at the facility.
According to him, the ministry had been monitoring the hospital for some time, and an enforcement team visited the premises on Friday to carry out a detailed assessment.
The team was led by the Director of Medical Services, Dr. Agbadu Joshua, alongside the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association’s Anti-Quackery Committee, Dr. Alex Iorbo, and the health desk officers for Otukpo and Gboko LGAs.
Ogwuche stated, “This is part of the state government’s intensified campaign against quackery and substandard medical practice.
“During the inspection of St. John’s Hospital Otukpo, the team found the facility operating in a substandard and unsafe environment and also failing to follow approved treatment protocols.
“The malpractices included a reported case of the removal of both breasts of a patient allegedly carried out on the 25th of November without adherence to established clinical guidelines.”
He said the hospital was sealed immediately and that the Medical Superintendent had been issued a formal query and directed to appear before the ministry on Monday for further explanation.
The commissioner reaffirmed the state’s resolve to ensure patient safety, warning that any health facility found to be engaging in dangerous or unethical practices would face strict consequences.
He urged medical practitioners to uphold professional standards and comply with regulatory expectations.
The closure comes only weeks after another facility St. Peter and Paul Community Health Centre and Maternity in Lessel, Ushongo LGA, was shut down over alleged misconduct, reflecting the government’s renewed efforts to sanitise the health sector.