President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated the new N21 billion Presidential/VIP Wing of the State House Medical Centre, located within the State House in Abuja.
Speaking at the brief ceremony on Friday, wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, who accompanied her husband to the event, stressed that the new facility will stop incessant travel abroad by the president and his family members for medical treatment.
The First Lady who spoke to newsmen after President Buhari had caught the tape and concluded a guided tour of the facility, said she bought the idea of executing the project in 2017, following the extensive stay of her husband abroad for medical treatment.
According to her, now that the facility is in place, Nigerian Presidents and their family members will no longer need to go abroad for treatment but may only fly medical experts to assist their colleagues in the country.
On whether the medical centre will now make it unnecessary for Nigerian leaders to go abroad for treatment, she responded: “Yes. This one is for the health and wellness of the First Family. They don’t need to go abroad now. They only need to, may be, fly in experts to help our people. You know.
“So, no need for any leader to spend months and months abroad because of health care”.
According to the outgoing first lady, now that the facility is ready, Nigerian presidents and members of their family will no longer need to go abroad for medical attention, but may only fly in medical experts to assist their colleagues in the country.
According to her, “they don’t need to go abroad now. They only need to maybe fly in experts to help our people. You know.”
“So, no need for any leader to spend months and months abroad because of health care”, she added.
Aisha said she came up with the idea of the VIP wing six years ago after her husband’s protracted stay abroad for medical treatment.
She noted that the president’s frequent trips were necessitated by the pressure on the state house medical centre receiving thousands of patients asides the first family.
I’m quite happy, feeling fulfilled. Though we are leaving but all the same, we thank God the project has come to reality,” she said.
“I have opted for it six years now. I initiated this project idea six years ago when my husband spent three months abroad, consecutively, 90 days. And it shouldn’t be because we have all the experts in Nigeria. We only need a good platform.
“The hospital that is supposed to serve the first family is serving like 35,000 people which is quite much.
“That’s why I insisted we should have a VIP wing within the proximity of the presidential villa.”
The new facility will cater to the medical needs of the president, vice-president, their immediate families and VIPs.
The VIP wing houses several specialized departments, to be staffed by a team of medical professionals, featuring five consultation rooms dedicated to various specialties, including respiratory, cardiology, ophthalmology, ENT, and general consultation.
Additionally, the hospital has a specialized X-ray suite equipped with a digital X-ray machine as well as a diagnostic suite encompassing MRI, CT scan, and endoscopy facilities.
Patients and visitors have access to a healing garden, designed to foster healing, relaxation, and enhancement of overall well-being. The facility also boasts of a catheterization laboratory, two operating rooms for regular procedures, and special procedures such as organ transplants.
SOURCES: The Cable & The Street Journal / Images: Channels TV
