Enugu State Governor-elect, Dr. Peter Mbah, has lauded the partnership between the Federal Government and the Enugu State administration, following the official handover of the state-of-the-art Enugu Diagnostic and Oncology Centre built by the state to aid quick and early diagnosis of diseases and for the treatment of cancer. The Governor-elect was represented by the Deputy Governor-elect, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, who described the centre as a laudable and remarkable achievement in the state’s history.
Barr. Ossai also commended the Ugwuanyi’s administration for navigating the negotiation and partnership, observing that Enugu would serve as the second state to have an oncology centre after Lagos State. He also called for the establishment of a faculty of Medical Engineering at the University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS), Igbo-Eno, to enhance upskilling, broaden medical knowledge and research, and provide technical support for the maintenance of equipment and other support needs.
Dr. Mbah said this on Tuesday in Enugu at a ceremony marking the formal transfer of the diagnostic centre tagged, “Official Transfer of the Enugu Diagnostic Center and Launch of EquiLease Systems Ltd” which was well attended by officials of the federal and the state governments including the governor, Deputy Governor, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, Mr. Farouk Mohammed Gumel, Chairman, Board of Directors, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Mr. Aminu Umar-Sadiq, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, among other eminent personalities from different walks of life.
Governor Ugwuanyi, speaking earlier, stated that the project would address the issues of capital flight, medical tourism, and preventable deaths arising from a lack of diagnostic testing centres in some parts of the country. He gave an overview of his achievements in the health sector, which included the construction and equipping of over nine Type-3 primary healthcare centres, an infectious disease centre, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Parklane, among others.
Mr. Farouk Mohammed, who was represented by Dr. Ogechi Pascal, a Non-Executive Director of NSIA, explained that the significance of the partnership between the Federal Government and Enugu State would lead to the centre addressing the dearth of health facilities, saying the operation and services of the facility would save lives, discourage capital flight in search of treatments abroad, and save the country of hard currencies.
According to the Chairman of Board of Directors, the NSIA was determined, within two years of official takeover of the facility, to elevate the centre to world-class medical centre offering full services for diagnosis and cancer treatments. He commended the governor for his commitment in making sure that the project saw the light of the day, stressing that the NSIA remained resolute in bridging the gap in the health ecosystem by creating easy access to medical treatments as a matter of fundamental right for Nigerians.
The NSIA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Aminu Umar-Sadiq, reiterated the resolve of the NSIA under his leadership to equip the Enugu Diagnostic and Oncology Centre to world-standard, adding that their target was to ensure the centre serves both the Southeast and the nation as a whole. He also stated that they were in a hurry to kick-off the operation of the medical facility with the installation of all the needed equipment.
The Enugu Diagnostic and Oncology Centre will help to attend to the medical needs of not only the people of the state but also the Southeast zone and the country at large. It is significant that the partnership between the Federal Government and Enugu State will lead to the centre addressing the dearth of health facilities in the country, saving lives and preventing capital flight in search of treatments abroad.
The proposed faculty of Medical Engineering at the University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS), Igbo-Eno, will enhance medical knowledge, research and provide technical support for the maintenance of equipment, among other support needs. The NSIA remains committed to elevating the centre to a world-class medical facility within two years of official takeover, creating easy access to medical treatments for Nigerians as a fundamental right.