The new presidential wing of the State House hospital in Abuja has not been put to use months after its official inauguration by the immediate-past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The chairperson of the Clinical Services at the State House, Jane Ifechukwu, disclosed this on Monday when the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, toured the facility in the Nigeria’s Presidential Villa.
According to the official, the facility’s current status is skeletal, awaiting approval to commence full operation.
“What we have here is skeletal, just the way we were having the Villa Clinic. But once we dot the ‘i’s … we can’t take decisions on our own; they give us the go-ahead, and we are good to go,” she said.
High standard facility
Speaking with journalists after the tour, Mr Gbajabiamila expressed satisfaction with the equipment at the clinic and attested that it compares with any standard hospital globally.
“I am very impressed and I’m sure you are as well, because you went around with me. This is a clinic you will find anywhere in the world, the standard is very high,” he said.
“The equipment is world-class. From my understanding, there are some equipment that you wouldn’t even find in too many places all over the world.”
Mr Gbajabiamila also highlighted the advanced medical equipment, including a Cath Lab and a unique C-ARM.
He said: “So, as far as clinics go, in terms of equipment, in terms of what they can do, I mean, I’ve just been lectured about kidney transplant now from one of the best… There’s a Cath. Lab. that’s world-class and so many other things.
“There’s equipment they called C-ARM. This gladdens my heart that at least when we were appropriating money in the House of Representatives when I was the Speaker, I can see where the money has gone.
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“So it’s for them to dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s and put finishing touches, and I think we’ll be proud to say that we have a clinic of international standard like this one.”
Medical Tourism
When asked about when the facility will commence operations to avoid medical tourism, Ms Ifechukwu said medical tourism is discouraged.
She said the management of the facility is only awaiting the directive from the Permanent Secretary to commence operations.
The wife of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha Buhari, had in May, explained that the state-of-the-art medical facility would eliminate the need for future presidents and their families to seek medical treatment abroad.
Mrs Buhari disclosed that the project had been initiated six years ago, prompted by her husband’s three-month-long consecutive medical trip abroad.
Recognising the abundance of medical expertise within Nigeria, she emphasised the importance of establishing a reliable platform for high-quality healthcare services.
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