The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority Healthcare Development and Investment Company has signed agreements that would help FastTrack its Diagnostics and Oncology Expansion Programme.
The program which is designed to curb medical tourism by providing Nigerians with access to world-class healthcare, includes Lease and Collaboration agreements with three Federal Medical Centres and three State Governments under phase one of the expansion.
The NHDIC entered into eight collocation agreements in total.
The state governments are Enugu, Kaduna and Kwara states while the selected, medical centres include Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi, Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Federal Medical Centre Asaba, Delta, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Akwa Ibom and University College Hospital Board of Management, Oyo state.
Speaking at the signing ceremony held in Abuja, the Managing Director, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Uche Orji said, “The broader goal of the programme is to establish, in two phases, a portfolio of 23 diagnostic centres, seven catheterization labs and two oncology centres across Nigeria.”
Pursuant to these agreements, funds will be deployed to build, equip, maintain, and operate catheterization labs in Kwara, Oyo, Sokoto, Bauchi and Delta states; build, equip, maintain, and operate private modern medical diagnostic centres in Enugu, Kaduna, Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Sokoto, Bauchi and Delta states; and build, equip, maintain, and operate an oncology Centre for advanced radiotherapy treatment.
Each centre will run as a joint venture between NSIA and the respective tertiary hospital to ensure timely and efficient delivery of services.
The investments are expected to build new and upgrade these institutions to modern medical centres and significantly enhance Nigeria’s ability to treat Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Speaking at the event, the NSIA Boss said the investments will provide access to advanced healthcare services for the benefit of lower-income families with limited access to care
He said, “The programme was created having identified critical infrastructure gaps through a comprehensive assessment of the sector and is aligned with the NSIA Healthcare Investment and Development Company’s (NHDIC) strategy to invest in the sector through the establishment of diagnostic centres and tertiary healthcare centres.”
According to the NSIA Boss, the enhanced diagnostic capabilities will improve medical intervention in the country and in the respective catchment areas of the partner Federal Teaching Hospitals.
When these centres become operational, he said they will deliver additional development impact for Nigerians through the provision of high-quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare.
The proposed projects present a disruptive healthcare strategy, as it will bring about the provision of high quality, affordable and accessible healthcare to the local market, as well as development/training on the required clinical resources in Nigeria and bring quality healthcare to many.
The event was attended by the Managing Director, NSIA, Uche Orji, the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Lolo Cecilia Ezeilo, representatives of Governors of Kwara, Kaduna States and Medical Directors of the Teaching Hospitals.
