Mbah inspects Enugu hospital, targets medical tourism market

Ahead of the official inauguration of the Enugu International Hospital,  the state governor, Peter Mbah,  has undertaken an inspection tour of the facility, declaring that the state is positioned to become a premier destination for continental medical tourism.

Mbah, who disclosed that the hospital has been fully equipped with state-of-the-art medical technology, stated that the project aims to stem the outflow of medical tourism from Nigeria and secure a significant share of the multibillion-dollar global market.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday following a pre-launch walkthrough of the facility located along Rangers Avenue, Independence Layout, Enugu, the governor noted that the hospital was born out of a deliberate health policy.

“If you recall our manifesto during our campaign for office, we made it clear that we were committed to making Enugu a medical tourism hub on the continent. We knew the size of that market and wanted to have a good share of it.

“We knew that we needed to do things differently, build a world-class facility, and, most importantly, attract top-notch professionals to provide services. We can’t wait to welcome the world to Enugu,” Mbah said.

Expressing concern over the dearth of advanced medical equipment in the country, noting there was previously only about one functional location for Positron Emission Tomography Scan services in Nigeria, Mbah emphasised that the new facility would bridge critical gaps in advanced healthcare delivery.

He stated, “We have quite a lot of Ndi Enugu and Nigerians who travel to India, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom to seek medical attention. What we’re offering is the same quality of service at a fraction of the cost overseas.

“If we want to compete globally, then we must have the ability to provide advanced oncology services. Therefore, we are equipped to offer both advanced diagnosis and treatment. Diagnostically and therapeutically, Enugu is now the destination.”

The governor also highlighted that the initiative has sparked strong interest among Nigerian healthcare professionals abroad seeking to return home. He added that the hospital would leverage digital healthcare and telemedicine, engaging medical experts globally to complement its physical operations.

According to him, the health sector interventions, spanning primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary levels, form a key pillar of his administration’s plan to expand the state’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn, while boosting security, investor confidence, job creation, and average life expectancy.

Also speaking, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Sam Agwu, outlined six core speciality centres that will be operational upon commissioning.

These include a Cancer Centre offering nuclear medicine, therapeutics and diagnostics; a Heart and Vascular Centre of Excellence equipped for open-heart surgeries, cath-lab procedures, and cardiac rehabilitation; a Neurosciences Centre for brain, spine, and stroke care; and a Renal and Transplant Centre covering dialysis and organ transplants.

Agwu added that the facility would also house a Wellness and Regenerative Medicine Centre, alongside standard clinical departments such as Obstetrics and Gynaecology, General Surgery, ENT, Dental and Ophthalmology.

Reacting to the development, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Enugu State Chapter, Dr Sunday Nwafor, commended the initiative, noting that the hospital would help reverse the “brain drain” in the health sector.

The governor was accompanied on the tour by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, among other senior state officials.