The Enugu State Government, in partnership with Rotary International, has flagged off a 15-day free medical outreach, including complex surgical procedures, at the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Teaching Hospital, Igbo-Eno.
 
The medical mission, organised under the Rotary India–Nigeria Medical Mission, was officially declared open at a joint press briefing by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, and the Rotary International Team Leader, Dr Santhosh Sreedhar.
 
Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of SUMAS, Prof. James Ogbonna, commended Governor Peter Mbah for the administration’s massive investment and sustained commitment to transforming the university into a competitive, world-class medical institution.
 
The flag-off ceremony coincided with the 4th SUMAS Matriculation Ceremony, where Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Health, reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to continue supporting the institution in its drive to emerge as Nigeria’s leading medical university.

The governor explained that the state government is committing enormous resources to the institution in response to the global healthcare manpower shortage, to train highly skilled medical professionals capable of meeting both local and international demands.
 
“We have taken a deliberate decision to populate Enugu State, Nigeria, and the world with the medical manpower required to improve healthcare delivery, while also creating quality employment opportunities for our people at home and abroad,” he said.
 
According to him, the establishment of the SUMAS Teaching Hospital was prioritised early in the administration to ensure that medical students receive the required practical and clinical training.