Medical Tourism: FCTA to build world class hospitals

By Hudu Yakubu, Abuja 

An Agency of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration, Abuja Property Development Company (APDC) has revealed it’s plan to build standard hospitals in the nation’s capital (Abuja) to reduce the number of Nigerians travelling outside the country for medical tourism.

The Managing director of the company, Lawal Aliyu Magaji, disclosed this during an interaction with Journalists.. 

Magaji said if those hospitals could be provided, it would definitely stem the current tide of medical tourism.

He stated that the company was also collaborating with the Health and Human Services Secretariat, HHSS to develop four district hospitals to be located at Wuye, Lokongoma, Galadima and Lugbe districts, to cater for the health need of FCT residents.

He attributed the high cost of buildings in the nation’s capital to the rising cost of building materials, especially the cost of finishing materials, which have to be imported, coupled with the widening exchange rate between the naira and the dollar at the international market.

The managing director however disclosed that the APDC was already working with some groups to proffer solutions to the high cost of buildings, by providing locally made building materials, or getting some foreign building materials companies to establish and produce the materials locally.

He said this would go a long way in supporting the government’s effort at bringing down the cost of the houses.

According to him, “We also have the intention of doing social housing, so that the costs of these houses are brought down. We are also doing research to build houses for no income.

It is something we have to put our thinking caps to provide, because they are also Nigerians. We are working to ensure that we take care of all Nigerians, irrespective of their status in order to provide houses for them.”

Confidence Okwuchi