The Enugu State Ministry of Health has arrested a fake doctor and sealed off an unlicensed hospital in Obollo-Etiti, Udenu Local Government Area, for operating without proper authorisation and endangering patients’ lives.
In a statement made available to The Punch on Sunday and signed by the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Ugodu Avemaria, it was revealed that the operation was coordinated by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu. The raid uncovered alarming conditions, exposing the facility as unhygienic and unfit for medical practice.
The statement identified the fake doctor as Mr Kenneth Mamah, who ran St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, Ada-ulo Obollo-Etiti Community.
“The enforcement team, acting on credible intelligence and complaints from concerned residents, stormed the facility recently, where they discovered that the owner has been conducting surgical procedures in his consulting room and other medical practices in an environment grossly unfit for any form of operative care.
“The self-proclaimed doctor had no medical licence, no professional training, and no authorisation from the state ministry of health,” Avemaria said. “Despite this, he routinely performed surgical operations, endangering the lives of residents who unsuspectingly sought care.”
According to the statement, residents were shocked to learn the true identity of the fake doctor, who had posed as a trained medical professional for years.
Director of Medical Services, Dr Amaechi Mgbodile, commented during the operation: “The closure aligns with the state government’s broader campaign to eliminate quackery, ensure patient safety, and enforce minimum standards across all health facilities.”
Dr Mgbodile emphasised that no facility is permitted to carry out surgical procedures without “proper registration, qualified health personnel, sterile equipment and approved theatre environment.”
The fake doctor has been handed over to security agencies for further investigation and potential prosecution, in line with Governor Mba’s zero-tolerance policy on quackery, the statement added.
Meanwhile, Udenu Local Government Chairman, Aka Eze Aka, assured residents that surveillance across the council would be intensified to identify and apprehend unlicensed practitioners operating in rural communities.
