Mbah flags off 300-bed Enugu International Hospital

Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu State, has flagged off the 300-bed Enugu international hospital and pledged to make the state a hub of medical tourism.

The governor, who made this known while flagging off of the state-of-the-art multi-specialty hospital project, emphasized his administration’s aim to take substantial share of the overseas medical tourism market, which is above $1 billion annually.

He disclosed that top-notch health professionals living in diaspora were already engaging the state government on areas of collaboration in the health sector, saying the state is open for investment, business and partnership.

He used the forum to call on more health professionals and other investors within and outside to see Enugu as a fertile market for business. Assuring on returns on investment, the governor said that the government had already derisked investment flow and would continue to make the state business friendly with the right incentives.

According to the governor, Enugu International Hospital would be equipped with the state-of-the art facilities to attract top-notch professionals.

“We intend to work with our sons and daughters overseas who are interested in coming to express their professionalism on our soil. So, we’ll be taking this opportunity to remind them to come back and know that this place is open for them with the best state-of-the-art facilities they can get anywhere in the world,” he stated.

Mbah said that the project shows his administration’s commitment to reverse medical tourism overseas and that the hospital would offer advanced, specialized services, research, training and would also meet the needs of those travelling abroad for healthcare.

“This administration had committed huge investment in the primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare services. We already know the interventions we made in the primary health sector with the construction of 260-type 2 primary healthcare centres and attending to 22 cottage and general hospitals across the state,” he said.

The international hospital will also serve as both training and research centre for medical students from the major tertiary institutions in the state as well as ensuring that patients have access to the best healthcare delivery available anywhere in the world.

Ikechukeu Obi, Commissioner for Health, extolled the governor over the ongoing revolution in the healthcare sector, saying that 260 type-2 and 9 type-3 primary healthcare hospitals are undergoing intervention at the primary health level, 22 secondary healthcare facilities receiving cutting-edge attention, with Enugu State University of Science and Technology Teaching Hospital (ESUTH) and the University of Medical and Applied Sciences Teaching Hospital (SUMASTH) as tertiary hospitals, in addition to the international hospital in the state.

According to him, the international hospital will offer different medical services as soon as it becomes operational which include, general medicine, emergency department, surgical services, obstetrics and gynaecology, intensive care unit, cardiology, oncology, neurology, radiology and imaging, laboratory services, pharmacy, nutritional services, physical therapy and rehabilitation, biomedical engineering and medical gas production, health information services, among other medical services.

Anthony Nader, chief executive officer, Tanit Medical Engineering, contractor handling the project, promised that the company would deliver the project in record time.

“What makes the hospital different from others is the quality and the uniqueness of the equipment. We are going to have some equipment that has never been seen in any of the hospitals around. The services that will be offered will be very unique to the extent that none of the hospitals in West Africa has it,” he stressed.