Katsina Shuts Down Private Health Training Institutions

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

All privately- owned institutions engaged in the training of health personnel in Katsina State have been shut down.

The Katsina State Government on Monday, October 21, 2024, said the  order is sequel to findings that a lot of the private health training and education institutions are not operating within the ambit of the  rules and regulations governing the system.

A statement issued by Hon Umar Mammada ,the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Matters, also, directed the revocation of previously issued licenses to all privately owned health training entities operating in the state.

He lamented that many of the private institutions, have been discovered by the Katsina State Ministry of Education to be operating under substandard conditions, and, also, without registration.

According to him, such questionable operational ethos is capable of compromising standard, leading dangerously to the production of half baked health professionals.

The Governor  aide informed that most of the private health training institutions currently operating do not possess the prerequisite qualifications to do so.

Mammada insisted that allowing them to continue operating without checks, is tantamount to subjecting the sector and health of the people to unnecessary risks.

The Special Adviser, therefore, called on all the affected institutions to avail themselves the verification and registration  window of between Thursday October 24 and Friday October 25, 2024

He warned that the closure order will remain in force until the authorities are satisfied that a reasonable measure of sanity has been enthroned in the system.

According to him, only institutions that meet with the verification and registration conditionalities will be given the nod to recommence operations.

“Over the past few years ,we have witnessed a significant proliferation of private health training institutions, many of which are unregistered or operating under questionable standards.

“While we acknowledge the crucial role that private health care plays in our health ecosystem, it is imperative that we ensure the utmost quality and safety for all citzens.

“It is imperative that all health institutions comply with the rules and regulations that govern the establishment of Private Health Training Institutions in the state.

“We want to take this opportunity to implement a more standardized and rigorous regulatory framework for both existing and prospective private health training institutions” Mammada stated.