A medical unit said to rank equal to anyone anywhere in the world has been unveiled by the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Tuesday, March 11, 2025. It is called UPTH Premium, run on partnership (PPP) with Teinye Isokrariari, management consultant and chief executive of Patricare.
Henry Arinze Anthony Ugboma, 59, the chief medical director, who revealed the objective, said they simply wanted to replicate what they see in the best hospitals around the world such as the UK, US, and Canada.
According to the CMD, most of the hospitals outside Nigeria that attract Nigerian patients (clients) are also manned by fellow Nigerians.
He said the difference is the availability of equipment and level of discipline in the foreign hospitals not found at home. He said he and his team resolved that what they saw abroad was doable and decided to put up UPTH Premium to bring foreign standards and facilities home to the Port Harcourt. He called it a five-star mini-hospital (medical unit).
He said the UPTH resolved to outsource the effort by signing a deal with Patricare, run by a UPTH ex-student, and the result is a facility any patient would want to stay in. “We must say that US, UK, Canada hospitals are here in the UPTH”.
He said the UPTH Premium has 24-hour power supply (which has been the bane of the main UPTH), has the best medical experts anywhere in the world, and would have the best of attention found anywhere.
The CMD who did not want to disclose cost of the project however said the sustainability clause is in the PPP system which would allow the UPTH Premium operate with the best of both the private hospital system where things are done promptly and the best of public hospital system with controls and fair rates.
It was gathered that the system of asking patients to queue from one payment point to another, a thing that seems to frustrate patients and their caregivers, will not rear its head in the UPTH Premium. This may be why the CMD said the main hospital would be main feeder to the 5-star facility.
Sources said the Premium may absorb the attention of most of the specialists from the UPTH that swarm most hospitals in the Garden City to render private services at huge fees.
In his intervention, Datonye Alasia, chairman, medical advisory committee (CMAC), said the objective was about the unlocking healthcare value chain by looking into the environment to find out all resources to help deliver good healthcare. He said this is achieved through taking the right decisions.
Speaking, Isokriari said it was a big challenge to be entrusted with such huge task to show capacity. He said the management drilled his team so hard and it paid off. He said success came by push from different angles and told of the passion to do something in his home state.
He described the UPTH as healthcare system titans, disclosing that the UPTH Premium contains of 70 beds, four theatres, intensive care units (ICUs) for both adults and babies, high dependence system, etc.
He said what is now in the UPTH can meet care anywhere in the world.
The expert said the facility was not all about money but about reversing medical tourism because the facility is the first of its kind in Nigeria.
The Rivers State Commissioner of Health (Adaeze Oreh), who was represented by Sylvanus Ojums, the director, special programmes/projects as well as the director, Emergency Medical Services in the ministry, described the project as a win-win for both the state and the UPTH.
He said the era of selling land and property to seek medical help abroad with high flight costs is over because the UPTH is home. He offered partnership from the state government especially in times of emergency when ambulance services would be crucial. He hoped other teaching hospitals would emulate the initiative.
Officials from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) showed huge interest for partnership so as to be referring some grades of patients to the UPTH Premium.
Owunari Abraham Georgewill, vice chancellor of the parent university (uniport), who was highly elated, exclaimed that the US and UK medical help is now in Port Harcourt. “We are with you.”
Unveiling the centre, Mukhtar Anka Ahmed (Saudana of Anka in Zamfara), guest of honour and the chairman of the UPTH board that approved the project, said the board was only interested in what would be good for the people. He said the first challenge the board resolved was labour issue and later looked into capital budget for the teaching hospital.
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