The idea behind Enugu State International Hospital is to reverse medical tourism, its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Prof. Sam Agwu has said.

Agwu, a gynaecologist, told Journalists on tour of the facility that the hospital being established by the state government would provide world-class specialised medical services and reduce the number of Nigerians travelling abroad for treatment.

He stated that when the facility comes on stream in a few weeks would position Enugu State as a major destination for healthcare, hospitality and medical tourism.

“This is a hospital designed to be world class in every aspect. And the vision is to reverse medical tourism,” he said.

He explained that the facility would operate as a quaternary medical centre, offering services beyond the capacity toof conventional tertiary hospitals.

According to him, the hospital have centres of excellence in cancer care, cardiac and vascular medicine, neurosciences, renal and cardiorenal services, nuclear medicine, maternal and child healthcare, and general surgery.

Agwu said the cardiac centre would provide open-heart surgery, while a top cardiothoracic surgeon from the United Kingdom would serve as Chief Medical Officer and help train cardiac surgeons in the region.

He added that the nuclear medicine centre would use advanced technology to detect diseases at the cellular and molecular levels, while an on-site cyclotron would support the production of radioactive materials required for some procedures.

Agwu explained that specialists in the UK, US, Canada and other countries would collaborate with the hospital through physical and virtual consultations.

The CEO said the initiative would make specialised healthcare more affordable by eliminating the huge cost of international travel and accommodation.

“If they take away the cost of flight and all those other things, it will be far cheaper, and they will be getting, if not better, exactly the same thing that they were going out there to get,” he said.

He disclosed that the hospital had invested in modern infrastructure, including piped oxygen systems and specialised adult, paediatric and coronary intensive care units.

Agwu also stressed the importance of compassion and dignity in healthcare, saying sophisticated equipment alone could not guarantee quality service.

“Any patient, any family that walks into this hospital, we owe that patient dignity, compassion,” he said.

He commended Governor Peter Mbah for creating an enabling environment for the project, saying the hospital would complement the state government’s ongoing healthcare reforms.

Agwu expressed optimism that the facility would attract patients from across Nigeria and other countries, thereby boosting healthcare, hospitality and medical tourism in Enugu.