The Kano state Private Health Institutions Management Agency (PHIMA) has directed the 300 private health facilities in the state to operate within their registered competencies or risk being closed down.
The agency is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that all private health institutions operate in accordance with the state laws.
The Executive Secretary of the Agency,
Dr Usman Eti told the punch in Kano on Friday that the directive was part of measures taken by the Kano state government to ensure that no private health facility treat CiVID-19 patients to check the spread of the pandemic in the state.
“The directive is being monitored in conjunction with Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Nigerian Association of Nurses and Midwives and pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, Kano state branch.
“Emphasis to those with KASCHMA and NHIS Licence and maternity hospitals and should provide face mask, basic hand wash/alcohol-based sanitiser.
“They are also expected to abide by the basic preventive measures and screening protocols of all patients.
“Private isolation centre with PPE and standard settings should be designated, so as to have options and avoid the Lagos scenario. Because some must look for private care.
“All diagnostic centers, laboratories as well as scanning centres have been advised to closed down,” he said.
According to him, the agency in collaboration with the agencies would scale up continuous surveillance to ensure compliance.
“Telemedicine and all electronic channels shall be employed to give care with minimal patient contact.
“Clinics found inadequate to meet up with IPC, staff, commodities and medical should be shut down completely until situation is safely reviewed
“All ANC services are suspended,” he added.
Similarly, the state chairman of Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Sanusi Bala said the association will continue to report any private hospital that treat COVID-19.patients to the state government for appropriate sanction.
“We don’t have the power to sanction such private health institutions but we can report them to government in order to check the ugly trend,” he said.
The NMA chairman, however, stressed the need for the government to enforce the lockdown in the communities rather than concentrate on major roads and markets in the city.
He called for the deployment of additional security agents to ensure effective enforcement of the knockdown order.
On the number of medical doctors in the state the NMA chairman said there were about 1,500 doctors in the state which he said we’re grossly inadequate to cater for the number of people in the state.
