American Hospital Dubai has announced the upcoming opening of a representative office in Abuja, slated for December 2024. This office will serve as a key link between the Dubai-based hospital and Nigerian patients, providing easier access to advanced medical care in Dubai.

The Guardian gathered that the office will make trips to the American Hospital in Dubai seamless and cheaper.

The move follows the successful launch of the hospital’s first Nigerian office in Lagos on August 19, 2024. The Lagos office was commissioned by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Consulate General in Nigeria, Dr. Abdullah Al-Mandoos, alongside the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who represented Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

A Board Member of American Hospital Dubai Nigeria Limited, Prince Tonye Princewill, noted the hospital’s plans for further expansion within Nigeria.

“We considered setting up additional representative offices to ensure broader access to our services. Just like the Lagos office, the Abuja office will also serve as another healthcare ’embassy,’ bridging the gap between enquiries and travel to the American Hospital Dubai for medical treatment. The hospital is quite popular with Nigerians, but we don’t want to take them for granted,” Princewill said.

According to Princewill, the Abuja office, like its Lagos counterpart, will assist Nigerian patients with visas, flights, and accommodation, making it easier for them to receive world-class healthcare in Dubai if needed. This expansion, he said, reflects the first phase of the American Hospital Dubai’s commitment to investing in Nigeria and improving healthcare access for its people. The state-of-the-art diagnostic centre comes next.

Princewill added, “We look at the office as an embassy for the American hospital; if you want to go to the American Hospital in Dubai and you pass through this office, it will make your trip seamless and cheaper because I was able to negotiate a heavy discount for Africans.”

He explained that the process started by just marketing medical tourism in Dubai and then slowly, he realised that the people have a strong commitment to the project.

The Consulate General of the UAE to Nigeria, Al-Mandoos, expressed delight that the vision conceived in 2019 has become a reality.