The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has commissioned the groundbreaking for the construction of cancer diagnostic and treatment center at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi.
The groundbreaking event for the construction of the center which was commissioned by the Minister of Economy, Wale Edun along side Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate and Governor Bala Mohammed on Friday in Bauchi is expected to be completed between 12 to 15 months.
MedServe, a subsidiary of NSIA officially commemorated the commencement of the first phase of its healthcare expansion programme with a groundbreaking ceremony at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi State.
It was gathered that MedServe’s healthcare expansion programme follows the success of the three demonstration projects namely: the NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre (NLCC), NSIA-Kano Diagnostic Centre (NKDC) and the NSIA-Umuahia Diagnostic Centre (NUDC) respectively.
READ ALSO:Tinubu launches healthcare initiatives to retrain 120,000 frontline workers
READ ALSO: Gunmen kidnap eight people, injure 12 during traditional ceremony in Anambra
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, the Managing Director of MedServe Dr Tolulope Adewole noted that ‘Medserve is primarily committed to the socio-economic upliftment of Nigerians.
He said that the focus is on expanding access to high quality medicare through medical infrastructure investment, capacity enhancement for key medical personnel and strategic partnerships with key stakeholder in the oncology value chain.’
Also speaking, the Chairman of MedServe, Aminu Umar-Sadiq shared that “the Authority recognises the importance of healthcare as a key component of national development hence the focus on creating opportunities for all Nigerians to optimise healthcare outcomes through MedServe.
“MedServe, through the phased healthcare expansion will further improve healthcare delivery in Nigeria and attract additional investment in medical infrastructure.”
Umar-Sadiq noted that the phased expansion programme will significantly optimise oncology and diagnostic care in Nigeria by the establishment of 23 diagnostic centres, 3 additional oncology centres and 7 catheterization laboratories co-located within federal tertiary institutions across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria.
The NSIA Chief further noted that the new oncology and diagnostic centers are projected to serve approximately 5,000 and 350,000 patients respectively, significantly reducing the burden of cancer and improving preventive care through diagnostics.
“Additionally, the healthcare expansion will further unlock access to world class oncology care, reduce cancer-related death, significantly support the retention of foreign exchange that would otherwise have been deployed for health care and improve preventive care through proactive diagnosis.
“By positioning these advanced centres within prominent Federal tertiary hospitals, the initiative seeks to offer specialized treatments and cutting-edge technology at par with international standards. This development is expected to encourage Nigerians to seek high-quality care within the Country,” he further explained.