The Anambra State Government has arrested a 47-year-old woman, Mrs. Onyinyechi Esther Charles, for allegedly carrying out surgical procedures without the required medical qualifications and authorisation.
Mrs. Charles, an indigene of Abia State who is married to a man from Nteje in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, allegedly operated a traditional birth attendant (TBA) facility in Umueri, Anambra East Local Government Area, where she is accused of performing caesarean sections, conducting normal vaginal deliveries and carrying out other surgical procedures despite not being a certified medical practitioner.
According to the state government, the suspect allegedly admitted during interrogation that she had been performing caesarean sections, normal deliveries and other surgical procedures without the required qualifications or approval. She also reportedly disclosed that she was formerly known as “Eze Nwanyi” before becoming a church minister and later presenting herself as a surgeon.
Confirming the arrest, the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, said officials recovered surgical instruments and other medical equipment believed to have been used in the alleged unauthorised procedures during a search of the facility.
Obidike added that hospital beds where patients were reportedly treated were also found on the premises. Officials further discovered what appeared to be a shrine and an altar inside the facility.
He said the facility has been sealed and confiscated pending the outcome of legal proceedings, while the suspect will be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.
