If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon or make a better mouse trap than his neighbours, though he builds his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door.
This profound saying by American philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson appeared in “The Value of Good Works” in the Cincinnati Enquirer in 1882. It came to mind in November 2024 as I drove into Regions Healthcare Hospitals and Specialist Clinics, 10 kilometres from Owerri, the capital of Imo State. The buzz around Regions tickled my nose for news.
Business and management experts see Emerson’s assertion as reflecting the value of innovation, differentiation, and quality. The Nigerian triangle cities of Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt seemed the obvious choice for setting up a high-end medical facility. However, Dr Benjamin Dozie Anyanwu defied received wisdom and chose Mgbirichi, a small town between Obinze and Umuagwo on the Owerri-Port Harcourt expressway.
COVID-19 paradoxically contributed to the birth of Regions Hospital. Dr. Anyanwu lost his 93-year-old father and a dear sister. During his visit for the ceremonies, Nigeria shut down because of the pandemic, so he stayed back entirely.
Regions Stroke and Neuroscience Hospital provides high-quality medical care, particularly in neurology. The facility was established to address the country’s growing need for specialised neurological services. It prides itself on its renown in stroke and epilepsy care.
Regions Healthcare provides a comprehensive range of services, including but not limited to:
Neurology and Neurosurgery: Specialized care for conditions such as stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and brain tumours.
Stroke Unit: An acute care unit dedicated to patients who have experienced strokes, designed to minimise death and disability through specialised treatment.
Epilepsy Monitoring Unit: Advanced diagnostic services for seizure disorders.
Neuro-Rehabilitation Program: Utilizing cutting-edge technology to aid recovery for neurological patients.
Intensive Care Units (ICU): Equipped for neurological, neurosurgical, cardiovascular, and general intensive care.
Cardiology: Including open-heart surgeries
Endocrinology: Addressing endocrine diseases such as diabetes. Thyroid disease. Etc.
Rheumatology: Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis and other connective tissue diseases.
Urology: Prostate cancer, prostate surgeries, and other related urological problems.
Burns and Plastics: There is a two-bed unit specifically dedicated to burns and intensive care, separate from the general ICU.
Endoscopy & Colonoscopy
Gastroenterology and Surgical Gastroenterology Unit: Staffed by experienced consultants in all areas.
Orthopaedics: They also perform knee replacement surgeries.
Nephrology: There is a well-equipped nephrology and dialysis unit staffed by a consultant in operation 24/7.
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Regions also provide services for other medical services cutting across all disease entities as well as surgical intervention.
Regions continues to expand its offerings into laboratory and radiological services. They provide CT-scan services, which run round the clock. They also have a mini cardiac catheterization lab capable of performing pacemaker placements, revascularizations.
To enhance its radiology services, Regions has introduced a state-of-the-art 1.5 Tesla MRI powered by artificial intelligence—the first of its kind in the region.
This ultra modern imaging technology represents a significant milestone for the hospital. With a magnetic field strength approximately 30,000 times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field, the 1.5 Tesla MRI is designed to support a wide range of clinical applications. It delivers exceptional image quality, making it particularly effective for diagnosing conditions in neuroimaging, musculoskeletal care and more.
Johnson Owanta visited Regions as a director in the Abia State Civil Service. He recalled: “On July 31, 2018, I was the second patient of Regions Hospital shortly after they commenced. After several tests, I was referred to Dr. Benjamin Dozie Anyanwu, the Executive Medical Director(EMD). After reviewing the results, he recommended that I go for an MRI. The nearest centre with credible equipment was in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. I drove down, getting to Yenagoa around 4 p.m. After the tests, I moved back to Owerri.
By 8 a.m. the following day, the EMD was at his desk to attend to me. He confirmed that the Bayelsa Diagnostic Centre had emailed him the MRI report the previous evening, which he had studied. He reassured me on most counts.
“Overall, I was impressed with the on-site facilities and the professionalism of the Regions team. I keep receiving calls from the hospital to monitor my progress, which is atypical of this environment. I need to say that some of the Regions’ folk have grown into friends.”
Mr Sam John affirmed: I am encouraged by their professionalism. My company supplied and did the oxygen piping. The services that they render do not come cheaply. Those who have found courage and means can return to their feet.”
Regions Healthcare fulfils Dr. Anyanwu’s dream. He left Nigeria in 1996 to practise abroad but determined to return to serve where the need was acute. To that end, he attended various events where like-minded people discussed the whys and wherefores of returning to the homeland. He found the plans and estimates in millions of dollars far-fetched.
He chose the alternative of starting within his means, but it still cost him plenty. He liquidated his retirement benefits, stating “ I closed my 401K of about $700,000 and paid a fine to the US government for doing that.” This, combined with an additional $500,000 raised by his immediate family as initial start-up funds, placed significant financial stress on his savings and put the financial safety of his family at risk.
Even so, Dr Anyanwu consistently stressed the collegial nature of the venture. “I am not the only bearer of this dream. I have a group of committed professionals with me.” It also helps that medicine is a family profession.
The risks and challenges included paying over N200m to Enugu Electric to run power cables from FUTO Junction to ensure more regularity with power and supplement with generators. The solar option, estimated to be in billions of naira, was too expensive.
The zone has an environmental challenge and a poor perception of security. Patients come from all over the South-East and South-South, but they believe that with better security narratives and perceptions, more people would come from the PH oil firms.
Another is bending over backwards through training to bring the staff, many of whom are hired from the locality, up to standard in aptitude and attitude.
Dr. Anyanwu is a prominent neurologist who serves as the Executive Medical Director at Regions Healthcare in Imo State, Nigeria, and President of the West Atlantic Stroke and Brain Foundation. His extensive medical training includes a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of Nigeria and a neurology residency at Seton Hall University School of Medicine and JFK Medical Center. He further specialised in vascular neurology through a fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, focusing on stroke and neurocritical care.
His previous experience includes serving as an Attending Stroke and Neurocritical Care Neurologist at Novant Health (2008-2017), Chief of Neurology at Novant Health (2013-2017), Medical Director of the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at Novant Health (2010-2016), Medical Director of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Medicine at Novant Health (2010-2014).
Dr. Anyanwu is board-certified in several specialities, including General Neurology, vascular neurology, and neurocritical Care. He holds certifications from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the United Council for Neurological Subspecialties.
“We have built our business on Three Core Capabilities of a state-of-the-art facility, a pool of skilled healthcare professionals, and respect for our customers’ health needs and preferences”, Regions Hospital declares.
It hosts thirty doctors and visiting Diaspora specialists. The facility is equipped with modern technology and adheres to international standards of medical practice to enhance patient outcomes.
Dr. Anyanwu works with several other administrative and physician leaders who have made significant sacrifices to ensure that Regions continues to thrive. In an effort to ensure consistency in service delivery there is also a special physician lead for clinical compliance, protocols, and policies who works round the clock to ensure compliance with standardized international regulations.
Regions Healthcare offers a free clinic for epilepsy patients and a medical advisory every Thursday as a community service to debunk myths about the condition. He sees up to 200 patients every month on the free service. Regions Hospital plans a free diabetes screening on 29 November 2024.
Given the equipment and other running costs, Dr. Anyanwu bristles at comparing fees or services between Regions and public hospitals in the region. “Our services run 24/7. There is zero support from any tier of government. I invite people to compare our care here with the quality you get in comparable facilities in Lagos, Abuja or what you get in the West. We are much cheaper than going abroad.”
Regions position themselves as “the alternative to healthcare tourism.”
Anyanwu affirms, “Quality of care and outcomes is important here. Our mantra is exceptional people, exceptional care.”
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