…As Tinubu approves health institution upgrade
Cancer treatment is to be given priority as President Bola Tinubu at the weekend approved the immediate upgrade of key health infrastructure and equipment across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.
The expected upgrade is in line with the current administration’s vision of overhauling the health and social welfare sector for enhanced service delivery to the citizens.
In line with the president’s approval, the federal ministry of health and social welfare, in collaboration with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), will carry out a comprehensive upgrade of cancer-treatment infrastructure and other critical developments in six tertiary hospitals across the geopolitical zones.
The president also nominated some teaching hospitals across the geo-political zones, marked for the establishment of oncology and nuclear medicine centres per facility to ensure that world-class cancer diagnosis and care is accessible across the country.
The institutions include the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, and the University of Nigeria (Nsukka) Teaching Hospital
Others include the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, University of Jos Teaching Hospital and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital
Similarly, the president also approved some critical healthcare service expansion projects across the fields of radiology, clinical pathology, medical and radiation oncology, and cardiac catheterisation, which will be carried out in ten hospitals across all geo-political zones:
In the North-West: Reference Hospital, Kaduna — (Radiology, clinical pathology, medical and radiation oncology); Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto — (Diagnostic and intervention radiology, clinical pathology, and cardiac catheterisation).
In the South-East: Medical Diagnostic Centre Complex, Enugu — (Radiology, clinical pathology, medical & radiation oncology).
South-West: University College Hospital, Ibadan — (Diagnostic and intervention radiology, clinical pathology, and cardiac catheterisation)
South-South: University of Uyo Teaching Hospital — (Radiology and clinical pathology); Federal Medical Centre, Asaba — (Radiology and clinical pathology).
North-East: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi — (Radiology and clinical pathology); Federal Medical Centre, Nguru — (Radiology and clinical pathology).
North-Central: Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre Complex, Ilorin — (Radiology and clinical pathology); Jos University Teaching Hospital — (Radiology and clinical pathology)
The government said these critical projects to be delivered within 12-18 months, were expected to improve screening and diagnostics for communicable and non-communicable diseases; reduce mortality rates and improve outcomes for non-communicable diseases
They will also create considerable employment opportunities for clinical, administrative, and managerial personnel across the geo-political zones while building the capacity of clinical personnel in advanced procedures, diagnostics and treatment modalities.
