*Billions Spent By Nigerians On Medical Tourism To Be Domiciled In Enugu
By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu
Ahead of the imminent inauguration of Enugu International Hospital, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has undertaken a tour of the facility, declaring the state ready to welcome the world.
Mbah said the hospital was now fully installed with state-of-the-art medical equipment and would help to reverse medical tourism out of the country, ensuring that the state secures a large chunk of the multibillion-dollar market.
Fielding questions from newsmen on Thursday evening after a pre-launch walkthrough of the facility situated at Rangers Avenue, Independence Layout, Enugu, Mbah said the hospital was a product of a deliberate health agenda.
“If you recall our manifesto during our campaign for office, we made it clear that we were committed to making Enugu a medical tourism hub on the continent.
“We knew the size of that market and wanted to have a good share of that market. But we knew also that it was never going to be wished into existence.
“We knew that we needed to do things differently and build a world-class facility and, most importantly, attract top-notch professionals to provide services. We cannot wait to welcome the world to Enugu,” he stated.
Mbah regretted that there was just about one functional location for PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan services in the country, noting that the hospital would now bridge the wide gap in such advanced medical services in the country.
People&Politics notes that PET scan is an imaging test that reveals how a person’s organs and tissues are working at a cellular level, by using a safe, injected radioactive tracer—often a type of radioactive sugar—to highlight areas of high chemical activity or high energy use within the body.
“We have quite a lot of Ndi Enugu, and Nigerians who travel to India, Turkey, the United States, and the United Kingdom to seek medical attention.
“So, what we are asking for is just a fraction of what they would have spent overseas for the same quality services,” Gov. Mbah said.
He added: “We felt that if we want to compete globally, then we must also have the ability to provide advanced oncology services. Therefore, we are not only able to give you an advanced diagnosis, but we’re also able to treat. So, both diagnostically and therapeutically, the place to come to is right here in Enugu.
“We have also received an outpouring of interest from our healthcare professionals in the diaspora. Some of them were doing well here at some point and now went overseas to practice. They are now happy to come back home and give back to the society that nurtured them. We are excited about that.”
He further disclosed that the Enugu International Hospital would equally engage in telemedicine as one of its areas of strength.
“Of course, you may be in love with the building and the equipment, but you should also engage professionals from across the globe. You see this in our commitment to telemedicine, digital and electronic medical practices and equipment,” he explained.
Mbah emphasised that the hospital was part of his administration’s agenda for the health sector as a major part of his government’s vision to grow the state’s economy from $4.4billion to $30billion, and ensure high quality and increased life expectancy for the people.
“If you look at our intervention in the healthcare sector, from the primary healthcare to the secondary, tertiary, and now the quaternary, it is intentional.
“We are investing heavily in security and healthcare because we know that these are what investors would ask you: ‘Am I safe? If I fall sick, would I have a place where I can get quality medical attention?’” he said, adding that the hospital would also create jobs.
Also speaking, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Professor Sam Agwu, listed six specialty areas the hospital would provide services in, once commissioned.
“We have earmarked six specialty centres here. In the Cancer Centre, we are going to provide medical, surgical, and nuclear medicine therapeutics and diagnostics.
“Then we are going to have the Heart and Vascular Centre of Excellence to deal with all heart problems and open-heart surgery, as you may know; cardiology consultation and diagnostics, electrophysiology and arrhythmia care, coronary care and acute cardiac pathways, interventional cardiology and cath-lab procedures, heart-failure and cardiac rehabilitation clinics, and of course vascular assessment and collaborative surgical care.
“We are going to have the Neurosciences Centre where we will deal with stroke, epilepsy, brain and spine tumours, neurosurgical procedures, among others.
“We are going to have a Renal and Transplant Centre of Excellence covering full kidney, chronic kidney disease clinics, early nephrology review, dialysis support and transplant assessment.
“Then, apart from all the centres of excellence, we are going to have wellness and regenerative medicine, while the usual departments that you know of – mother and child, general surgery, ENT, dental, ophthalmology, among others – will all be here,” he disclosed.
Former Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Enugu State, Dr. Sunday Nwafor, hailed the milestone, saying the hospital would promote brain gain by reversing the mass exodus of medical doctors from the country.
“Going forward, our doctors have a place of international standard where they can practice with state-of-the-art equipment and also earn well,” he said.
Mbah was accompanied by the Commissioner for Health, Profrssor George Ugwu, among others.
*PHOTO CAPTION: At the section featuring the rare PET Scan, Gov. Mbah (2nd left) listens with rapt attention as a specialist staff member explains how the equipment works.
