President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate upgrade of 16 health institutions in all six geopolitical zones of the country.
The president directed that the institutions’ infrastructure and equipment be improved promptly.
The institutions are the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Surulere and the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria.
Six teaching hospitals have been designated for the creation of oncology and nuclear medicine centers, all of which are expected to be completed within the next 12-18 months.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, stated that the modernizations align with the administration’s vision of improving the health and social welfare sector to provide world-class cancer diagnosis and care to all Nigerians.
The statement is titled, ‘President Tinubu approves immediate upgrade of key health infrastructure across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.’
Aside from LUTH and ABUTH, the four other teaching hospitals are the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, University of Nigeria (Nsukka) Teaching Hospital, Enugu State, Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, University of Jos Teaching Hospital, Plateau State.
Tinubu also approved critical health care service expansion projects across the fields of radiology, clinical pathology, medical and radiation oncology and cardiac catheterisation in 10 hospitals across all geo-political zones.
They are Reference Hospital, Kaduna (North-West) — (Radiology, clinical pathology, medical and radiation oncology), Medical Diagnostic Centre Complex, Enugu (South-East) — Radiology, clinical pathology, medical & radiation oncology), Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto (North-West) — Diagnostic and intervention radiology, clinical pathology, and cardiac catheterisation, University College Hospital, Ibadan (South-West) — Diagnostic and intervention radiology, clinical pathology, and cardiac catheterization and University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (South-South) — Radiology and clinical pathology.
Others are Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi (North-East) — Radiology and clinical pathology, Federal Medical Centre, Asaba (South-South) — Radiology and clinical pathology, Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre Complex, Ilorin (North-Central) — Radiology and clinical pathology, Jos University Teaching Hospital (North-Central) — Radiology and clinical pathology and Federal Medical Centre, Nguru (North-East) — Radiology and clinical pathology.
Ngelale said the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority will carry out the comprehensive upgrade of the cancer-treatment infrastructure and other critical developments, in addition to the full renovation and expansion of prior investments to improve broad-based access to high-quality healthcare nationwide.
“These critical projects, set to be delivered within 12-18 months, will improve screening and diagnostics for communicable and non-communicable diseases; reduce mortality rates and improve outcomes for non-communicable diseases,” he added.
They are also expected to create considerable employment opportunities for clinical, administrative, and managerial personnel across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones, all while building the capacity of clinical personnel in advanced procedures, diagnostics, and treatment modalities, in accordance with the administration’s eight priority areas.