By: Imo Thomas -Umuahia.
Abia State Government (ABSG) has vowed to reverse medical tourism in Nigeria through the building of the proposed world-class medical city and the position of Abia as a medical destination.
The Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, disclosed this on Saturday while conducting journalism around the site for the proposed Abia Medical City at Mbasaa, around Owerrinta in Isialangwa South LGA.
He said that the Medical City, which sits on about 200 hectares of land covering seven communities within Isialangwa South and North LGAs, would cost three billion Dollars and would be funded by development partners, MKP International Holdings, with Abia State Government providing land, security, and goodwill.
“This medical city is the first quaternary hospital in this country that would take care of all levels of complicated healthcare issues.
“The Abia Medical City is one of the landmark projects of His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti.
“Owing to the transparent record and, of course, the relentless visionary strides of his excellency, he was able to attract a well-known, globally reputable engineering procurement construction consortium, known as the MKP International Holdings, to finance, fund, develop, build, operate and transfer this facility.
“It is estimated that about 1.6 billion Dollars, which many of us think is too conservative, is the amount of money that is lost from this country every year owing to medical tourism.
“So to reverse that and also to help curb the ‘JAKPA’ syndrome, he (Gov. Otti) envisioned the development and establishment of the first quaternary healthcare ecosystem in this country, and that is the Abia Medical City.
Professor Uche revealed that the Medical City would have a 1,000-bed ultra-modern healthcare facility that can cater to every healthcare need of the people.
He further said,
“Apart from the ultra-modern medical facility, there is also going to be a tourist city.
“You’re also going to have an ultra-modern oncology center. As you may well know, cancer care is one of the reasons people leave this country for care abroad.
“Whether you are talking about radiotherapy, you’re talking about radiosurgery, radio-oncology, you’re talking about emerging therapies, you’re talking about the neuro chemotherapeutic agents.
All those are going to be available here with the best-in-class medical experts who can come in from all parts of the globe to be part of the workforce in this place.
“It will also take care of all forms of brain, spine, orthopedic, organ transplantation, cardiac transplant, cardiac surgeries, name it, any level of surgery. There will also be a place for cosmetic surgery, “Abia Health commissioner stated.
The Commissioner went ahead to add that the Medical City would also have an ultramodern children’s hospital, a fertility center, an ophthalmology center, organ transplantation, a diagnostic center, and a hub for digital health technologies, among others.
He revealed that the Medical City would equally have research institutes that would be affiliated with the best hospitals and universities in the world
“We have already received expressions of interest from top-class universities in the U.S. who want to partner with the medical city.
“So we will have a place where our children can be trained, where our old people can be looked after,”.
The Commissioner who justified the location of the project said that the site is just about 35 minutes from Owerri Airport, 25 minutes from the Abia Airport that is under construction, one hour from Port Harcourt, 30 minutes from Aba, 25 to 30 minutes from Umuahia, about two hours from Akwa Ibom, Onitsha, and Enugu and one hour by flight from Lagos and Abuja.
It could be recalled that the flag-off ceremony of the project, which was earlier scheduled to be held on 23rd May 2025, was rescheduled for early June 2025 and would be done by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
