The Federal Government is considering plans to construct a 1,687-bed-hospital, valued at $650m in the Federal Capital Territory to discourage medical tourism in the country.

The project is expected to be completed between 24 and 36 months.

But to ensure the materialisation of the hospital, to be named Abuja Medical City, it has to scale the Federal Government’s procurement process.

A representative of IBT Group, promoters of the hospital project, Mr. Daniel Toledano, stated this in Abuja on Tuesday after making a presentation on the project to the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu.

According to him, the hospital, which will be the first of its kind in Africa, will make Nigeria a medical tourists centre in Africa in terms of capacity and personnel to cater for, at least, 2,040,000 patients at a time.

He stressed that the IBT Group, which will handle the project alongside Sumolex and KMD Architects, had over 35 years experience in turnkey projects in 21 countries across the globe.

While Nigeria loses over $500m yearly to medical tourism abroad, he said capital plight per patient ranged between $20,000 and $40,000 per trip.

He said, “The objectives of the project include provision of the first level three medical care facility in Nigeria and to relocate high-complexity medical care to Abuja Medical City.”

The proposed 1,687-bed hospital, the minister said, would include 763 beds for Trauma Centre;300 beds for Amenities care pavilion; 524 beds for Pediatric section and 100 beds for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation section.

Also speaking, the spokesman for IBT Group of companies, Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, said the Abuja Medical City, which will become operational six months to its completion date, will cost $650m.

Defining the operational model for the proposed hospital, Dr. Isioma Okobah, a Nigerian doctor based in Atlanta-Georgia in the United States of America, said, “We can attract our doctors in the Diaspora back home and there won’t be need for medical tourism abroad because they will provide the same services here and get the same pays they are getting now.”

The minister also said the proposal was in line with the plan of the Federal Government towards checking medical tourism abroad and providing world class healthcare services for Nigerians.

http://www.punchng.com/news/fg-plans-650m-abuja-medical-city/

now they are being serious. But let them not make it to be a project only on paper and mouth.

Great plan hopefully this will be a reality

This is good news. May it be real.

I pray this bkm a reality