Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Abia State Government says it is set to establish $1.3 world-class medical city in the state.
The project, according to the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Uche, is aimed at ending medical tourism in the state and making Abia a preferred destination for medical care in Nigeria.
The Commissioner who spoke while conducting newsmen round the site for the proposed Abia Medical City at Mbasaa, near Owerrinta in Isiala-Ngwa South Local Government Area, said, it was the signature projects of Governor Alex Obi.
Professor Uche said the Medical City “sits on about 200 hectares of land covering seven communities within Isiala-Ngwa South and North LGAs.”
The project, according to him, will 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 Governor 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, to fund, develop, build, operate and transfer this facility.
“The company already wishes to start construction even before the flag off. So, everything is ready and you can see the very nice landscape.
“Because we know that medical tourism is one of the major drivers of capital flight in this country.
“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 for every healthcare need of the people.
“Apart from the ultra-modern medical facility, there also going to have a tourist city. The medical step-down hotel will be a five-star hotel and there will be another five-star tourist hotel.
“You’re also going to have an ultra-modern oncology centre. 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 that can come in from all parts of the globe to be part of the workforce in this place. So this ecosystem will also house a modern surgical center that can take care of laparoscopic surgeries, robotic surgeries.
“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.”
He further said that the Medical City would also have an ultramodern children’s hospital, a fertility centre, ophthalmology centre, organ transplantation, diagnostic centre, a hub for digital health technologies among others.
He revealed that the Medical City would equally have research institutes that will 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, our young people can be looked after, in an ecosystem that supports healthy living.
“So this is a comprehensive ecosystem that is going to address all aspects of healthcare and promote wellness and good standards of care and living.”
Professor Uche said that the Medical City would also ensure that Abia has institutes that can train the highest calibre of medical and healthcare workers with affiliation to some of the best institutions in the world as well as have the ability to link up with pre-existing medical facilities in the state for optimal performance.
The Commissioner justified the location of the project, arguing that its proximity to the Imo airport, and easy accessibility from neighbouring states, informed the choice of the location.
“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.”
He said that the access road for the project is being constructed by the Governor.
The flag off ceremony of the project, which was earlier scheduled for 23rd May, 2025 has been rescheduled for early June.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to be in the state for the flag off of the project.
