Enugu State governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has pledged to make the state the hub of medical tourism and put an end to the exodus of people moving overseas for health services by expediting the completion of the ongoing construction of the 300-bed Enugu International Hospital.

The governor, who made this commitment on Monday in Enugu during the flag off of the state-of-the-art multi-specialty hospital project, stressed that the state was targeting a substantial share of the overseas medical tourism market which is above $1 billion annually.

He disclosed that top-notch health professionals living in the diaspora were already engaging the state government on areas of collaboration in the health sector, saying the state is open for investment, business, and partnership.

Mbah, who also called on more health professionals and other investors to see Enugu as a fertile market for business, and assured of returns on investment, said the government had already derisked investment flow and would continue to make the state eco-business friendly with the right incentives.

While expressing delight that the project was a reaffirmation of his administration’s commitment to reverse medical tourism overseas, Governor Mbah said the hospital would offer advanced and specialized services, research, and training.

He said the construction of the international hospital, which had already commenced, would meet the needs of those travelling abroad for healthcare, noting that the administration had committed huge investments in primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare services.

“We already know the interventions we made in the primary health sector with the construction of 260-type 2 primary healthcare centres and attending to 22 cottage and general hospitals across the state,” he said.

Mbah further stated that the international hospital will also serve as both a training and research centre for medical students from the major tertiary institutions in the state as well as ensuring that patients have access to the best healthcare delivery available anywhere in the world.

Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Prof Ikechukwu Obi, extolled the governor over the ongoing revolution in the healthcare sector, saying 260 type-2 and 9 type-3 primary healthcare hospitals undergoing intervention at the primary health level, 22 secondary healthcare facilities receiving cutting-edge attention, with Enugu State University of Science and Technology Teaching Hospital (ESUTH) and the University of Medical and Applied Sciences Teaching Hospital (SUMASTH) as tertiary hospitals, in addition to the international hospital in the state.

According to him, the international hospital will offer different medical services as soon as it becomes operational which include, general medicine, emergency department, surgical services, obstetrics and gynaecology, intensive care unit, cardiology, oncology, neurology, radiology and imaging, laboratory services, pharmacy, nutritional services, physical therapy and rehabilitation, biomedical engineering and medical gas production, health information services, among other medical services.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Enugu state has lauded Governor Mbah on the historic flag off of Enugu International Hospital.

Speaking at the event the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Enugu State, Rtn Dr. Sunday Okafor stated that the governor has demonstrated that governance in Enugu State is no longer business as usual but business unusual.

He assured the governor of the association’s support and collaboration to ensure the facility gets completed and becomes operational in record time.