•A hospital ward
The Kano State Private Health Institutions Management Agency (PHIMA) has shut down 37 private hospitals and other healthcare facilities in the state over various regulatory violations in the past 18 months.
The Acting Director-General of PHIMA, Hajiya Khadija Sa’id, disclosed that 16 of the affected facilities were closed in 2025, while another 21 were shut down between January and July 2026 for failing to comply with government regulations governing healthcare service delivery.
According to her, more than 1,405 private health facilities are currently registered with the agency across the state, reports Channels TV.
She explained that PHIMA is responsible for facilitating, regulating and supervising healthcare services provided by private health institutions, adding that the agency has the authority to sanction or shut down facilities that violate government regulations.
Hajiya Khadija said the agency monitors private health institutions through routine and supportive supervision.
She explained that routine supervision is conducted by teams comprising PHIMA staff and ad hoc personnel with relevant medical experience, while supportive supervision involves stakeholders, including specialist doctors, lawyers, representatives of the state Ministry of Health, security agencies and community leaders.
The Acting Director-General said the registered facilities include clinics, polyclinics, hospitals, specialist hospitals, nursing homes, clinic/maternity centres and maternity hospitals.
She stressed that each category of healthcare facility has a clearly defined scope of services it is authorised to provided and warned that it was unlawful for a clinic, for instance, to provide services designated for a polyclinic or hospital.
“Our concern is to ensure good service delivery to the people. We do not want a situation where the health of the people will be compromised,” she said.
Khadija further disclosed that PHIMA would soon upload updated information on all registered private health institutions on its newly designed website.
She said the platform, which will be managed by the agency’s database unit, would strengthen monitoring and provide the government with up-to-date information on private healthcare facilities across Kano State.
According to her, the database would include information on daily patient attendance at private hospitals, maternal mortality and infectious diseases affecting communities.
She said the availability of reliable data would enable the government to identify emerging health challenges and take appropriate measures to address them.
The PHIMA chief added that the agency regularly organises capacity-building workshops for its staff and owners of private health institutions to familiarise them with government guidelines, regulations and policies governing the operation of private healthcare facilities.
