Enugu state governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has flagged off the construction of a 300-bed Enugu International Hospital, saying the project, when completed, would make the state the hub of medical tourism in West Africa.
He also said that the hospital would help to reverse the flow of medical tourism out of the country.
Performing the groundbreaking of the state-of-the-art multi-specialty hospital project in Enugu city on Monday, Governor Mbah stressed that the state was targeting a substantial share of the overseas medical tourism market estimated to be more than $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.
Mbah, who also called on more health professionals and other investors to see Enugu as a fertile market for business, and assured of returns-on-investment, said the government had already derisked investment flow and would continue to make the state eco-business friendly with the right incentives.
“The Enugu International Hospital is going to be equipped with the state-of-the art facilities and we intend 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.
Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Prof Ikechukwu Obi, extolled the governor over the ongoing revolution in the healthcare sector, saying 260 Type 2 and nine Type 3 primary healthcare hospitals 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.
