R-L; President Muhammadu Buhari, Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, SA Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, SSAP Media and Publicity, Mallam Shehu Garba and others during a virtual groundbreaking ceremony for the African Medical Centre (AMCE) in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE.
President Muhammadu Buhari has laid the foundation for the construction of an African Medical Centre of Excellence, AMCE, in Abuja.
Commissioning the project virtually, he said it would pave the door for more investments and cooperation in the country’s health sector.
The President thanked the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) for funding the construction of the 500-bed specialist centre, in conjunction with Kings College Hospital in London, which would be located in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
He maintained his mantra that Africa’s development plan must be accompanied by Africans’ participation in order to carry out the intended vision of transformation on the continent.
Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire said the project would address gaps in Nigeria’s health care value chain and improve service delivery.
Professor Benedict Oramah, President of the AFREXIMBANK, highlighted why Nigeria was chosen above other African countries, noting that the project’s goal was to reduce African medical tourism to European countries, which currently totals more than USD7 billion.
Professor of Hemato-Oncology at Kings College Hospital, London, Ghulam Mufti, said more plans are in the works to establish a network of medical centres across Africa that will be linked by technology.
The Centre, which will be completed in 2 years, will have a capacity of 500 beds and will service the West African region.
Reporting by Emmanuel Kutara; editing by Abdullahi Lamino