LAGOS State government has opened the country's first cardiac and renal medical centre as part of a drive to end the ongoing practise of health tourism whereby wealthy Nigerians constantly seek medical treatment abroad.
Over recent years, thousands of Nigerians dash abroad for all forms of healthcare, ranging from minor check-ups to complex operations. India has become the latest Mecca for such treatment but thousands also visit the UK, US, Canada and a host of other European countries where they spend millions of dollars.
In a bid to stem this tide, Dr Jide Idris, the Lagos State commissioner of health said that the health policy if his government is being designed to ensure that overseas treatment is reduced to the barest minimum. Speaking after the unveiling of the Cardiac and Renal Centre of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (Lasuth), Gbagada, Dr Idris noted that the N5bn centre was a major landmark achievement.
He also noted that, the edifice, built by a Turkish firm, Deux Project, is aimed at providing a major solution to the health needs of numerous patients seeking treatment for renal failure and dialysis services. According to Dr Idris, the Cardiac and Renal Specialist Centre which is the first in Nigeria, is an ultra-modern health care facility which provides comprehensive health care solutions and services to patients suffering from cardiac and renal related diseases, offers state-of-the-art services with eight specialised out-patient clinics.
Other facilities in the hospital include, Cathlab and C T scana, four intensive care units, two theatre suits with laminar flow air-control, a central sterilisation and supply unit, four bed recovery rooms, echo labs, a stress test lab, 24 dialysis machines, pharmacy laboratories and an ophthalmology clinic for eye screening. Among other things, there is also a physiotherapy\rehabilitation unit and conference rooms with telemedicine facilities.
According to Dr Idris, over the past 16 years, the Lagos State government has invested a lot of resources in revamping the health sector as it is a centre for tax payers and its citizens. He noted that other key areas of the intervention in the sector include upgrading of Lasuth the and Lagos State University College of Medicine trauma and burns centre, the toll gate emergency centre\mobile emergency care units and training, maternal and care centre as well as a new school of nursing.
He added that the establishment of the centre with up-to-date facilities will build local capacity especially for ailments that could be treated locally and encourage Nigerian specialists in the diaspora to return to practice and train their compatriots. Dr Idris said the centre will also provide additional facilities for care and training for post-graduate medical students, doctors and other health professionals.
