Kano orders hospital management out in 8 days

The Kano State Government has closed the operations of Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital in Kano, after almost three years of operation.

It came after the hospital’s management company, Northfield Health Services, received a court injunction to evacuate in eight days.

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The hospital is to be taken over by the Kano State Ultramodern Hospital Board, it has been learnt.

The evacuation notice comes despite a six-year contract signed with Northfield by the Kano government.

A staff of the hospital told Daily Trust on Tuesday that the court injunction was delivered on Monday asking the management to leave in eight days.

Systems shutdown

He said systems were cut off—“everything needed to manage patients in the ward was shut down, patients in the ward cannot get care.

“As a government, you cannot cut resources to save people’s lives,” he added.

Another hospital staff confirmed the shutdown and said work was on managing patients at present.

“One cannot do otherwise. You are aware of court orders. One has to just comply,” one of them told Daily Trust on Tuesday on conditions of anonymity.

“We are trying to discharge those who are fit. Those that are not fit, we are just trying to manage them for the time being.

“Our patients in the ward are being taken care of, pending when things getting sorted with those who are going to take over.

Order breach of contract

A top-ranking official said demanding handover of management and facilities of the hospital to KUSH board is in breach of the six-year contract signed with Northfield.

Northfield is challenging the move, but it is uncertain how that plays out within the eight-day period.

“Our legal team is working to see what is obtainable, the matter is before the court.

“We cannot make logical comments until we run that course,” the official said.

Some insiders have declined to speak openly to Daily Trust about the implications of the evacuation order, citing Kano’s polarisation along party lines and camps.

Sources tell Daily Trust the order is a political move by the Kano governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, to secure stronger control of the hospital.

“His term ends in two years and the contract will outlive him, and he can’t do anything about it if he doesn’t make a move now.”

Calls put through to Kano health commissioner Aminu Tsanyawa to comment on the closure timed out without response from Tuesday evening till Wednesday morning.