Buhari commissions cancer center, independent power plant

President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority-Lagos University Teaching Hospital (NSIA-LUTH) cancer treatment centre and over 5MW LUTH independent power plant in LUTH, Idi-Araba, Lagos.

The world class Cancer Treatment project is a Public Private Partnerships meant to bridge the Infrastructural Gap in public institutions and provide Nigerians an affordable healthcare to tackle one of the most deadly diseases in the whole world.

On Monday, 4th February 2019, Cancer Day was marked globally.

In 20I6, NSIA entered into a partnership with the Lagos University teaching Hospital (“LUTH’) to sponsor co-sponsor the development of a world class Cancer treatment Centre, serving as the principal financial investor while LUTH contributed Its real estate.

The president, said, “Almost four years ago when we assumed office, we made a salient commitment to improve the quality of healthcare for the Nigerian people. Our focus on greater investment in the sector to ensure increased access to save, high quality care for the citizens.

We promised to effect policies that will remove the debilitating constraints on the sector and create sustainable structures to strengthen our healthcare institutions.

Today, we are gathered here to see the modest but laudable stripes we are making in fulfilling the promise.

Based on our promises and the facts we found on the ground, the administration immediately began to introduce programmes to alleviate common diseases by rolling-out basic healthcare, provision of funds targeted at assuring access to primary health care for 80 million Nigerians and this is seen in our ongoing effort to impact lives with 10000 primary health care facilities across the country.

We recognise the progress in the health sector is handicapped by several bottle necks, accordingly we have worked and we will continue to work to ensure the systems are introduced bridge this gap.

This direction is a direct intervention in addressing non communicable diseases such as cancer.

We are creating an enabling environment for institution such as the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority to help fund high impact project on time and on budget thereby delivering immense value for our people.

We are aware that at 40% of fund spent by Nigerians on medical tourism is attributable to patients seeking treatment for cancer.

Until now, there were only two working radiotherapy machines in the country while considering the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, we utilise a PPP model to directly address this issue, we will replicate this model across the country to bring the quality, first class healthcare services to as many Nigerians as we can.

Under our leadership, NSIA will commission two more modern medical diagnostics centres to be located in the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and the federal medical centre Umuahia, Abia state respectively, bringing additional investment to Nigeria’s health care sector.

Our goal today is not simply celebrate and applaud the combination of months of hard work to achieve this objective, neither is it to solely in the successful completion of the most modern and best equipped cancer treatment centre in West Africa, indeed we are proud but we recognise that this modest effort to address the gaps in our tertiary healthcare system alone, is insufficient to address all the challenges faced by the sector.

Today we showcase what we can accomplish when we are together, unrelenting in our effort to deliver a common objective, no one ever pray to be diagnosed with cancer, but if they are, what we have made possible here today is the hope that chance of survival and good quality of life becomes part of the story of many Nigerian patients with cancer of course will continue to push hard to raise awareness about cancer, educate our people, facilitate early diagnosis that today you can confidently proclaim that many more Nigerians will now have access to high quality treatment.

On his part, Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, said the bold steps of the president is Iead to the commissioning treatment centre.

He said, “under the stewardship of the president, we have also established, through PPP, the first Independent Power Plant with over 5MW capacity in LUTH, the tirst of its kind in any Federal Tertiary Hospital nation-wide. Our Blood Bank is now one of the best in Nigeria, thanks again to the Public Private Partnership.

The President’s vision and vibrant leadership have been beneficial to this Institution.

We have with us today the very first Cancer Specialist in West Africa. Prof J Koffi Duncan, 88.

He established the first Radiotherapy Department in West Africa here in LUTH in 1954 and most radio-oncologists in West Africa passed through him or his trainees.

On the features of the centre, prof. Bode said, “the centre being commissioned today(yesterday) has three Linear Accelerators, a Brachytherapy Machine.

A Treatment Planning System and a Chemotherapy Suite. It also manned by highly qualified Nigerian oncologists and their competent team.

The Centre is world-ciass and no Nigerian cancer patient needs travel abroad again to receive treatment easily obtainable at this Centre.

“The Centre will also have a training school tor Oncologists and allied specialties in the Cancer Management Team, so other institutions may benefit.

Then is a 10-year service/maintenance contract in place for each equipment to give at least 95% up-time to the lifespan of ten years.

We want to assure the president and the public that we shall give whatever it takes to run this Centre as a pride to alt Nigerians.

NSlA’s investment is not only safe but will yield ample dividend to encourage other deep pocket investors to open up the health sector as a viable investors’ haven.

On staff training, he said, “We are already training our staff to effectively man the Centre which should be running fully as soon as all necessary mandatory operational certifications are obtained in the next six weeks.

Once fully operational, the center will be able to treat over 3000 patients pet year, treating a wide range of cancer types.

NSIA has Invested $11 million to directly alleviate the disease burden caused by cancer.

Speaking on the power plant, Head business development, CET Power project Ltd Tade Adeyeye, said the first independent power plant is with over 5MW capacity and is the first of it’s kind in any federal tertiary hospital Nation-wide.

According to him, since we provide power supply, we are giving encouragement to the NSIA, Federal government to embark on this huge project.

“This will give them more confident in running the treatment centre. CET Power is open to doing more of this, it is a service we are rendering and it’s not free.”

I want to appeal to the federal government if they can allow other teaching hospitals to benefit from gas power planting, it will help the cost of electricity very friendly.