By Job Osazuwa
Towards prevention and early management of different ailments, Lagos-based health care facility and hospitality brands, Duchess International Hospital and the Lagos Marriot Hotel, have partnered to pioneer a three-day comprehensive medical screening and disease prevention service in Nigeria.
The health package known as the Duchess Royal Medical Check-up, is a premium executive health check programme aimed at promoting affordable access to health and preventing the onset of chronic diseases.
At the launch of the programme in Lagos, chief executive officer of Duchess International Hospital, Dr. Adetokunbo Shitta-Bey, said: “Nigerians travel all over the world to countries such as Germany, the United States and major cities such as Dubai in search of comprehensive health screening, disease prevention services and treatment for a variety of long-term (chronic) diseases, all of which we now offer exclusively at the Duchess International Hospital.
“The hospital’s mission is to reverse medical tourism by delivering the highest standards of care, using the most advanced technology and treatments to give our clients the fastest, most convenient access to the best medical expertise available anywhere in the world.”
According to Shitta-Bey, the Duchess Royal Check-up programme comprises a three-day American/European-style full-body medical assessment and complete clinical evaluation focused on early detection of disease and prevention of long-term ailments in men and women.
“It uses the most advanced testing technology and specialised medical expertise to deliver the best clinical outcomes on behalf of our clients, based on their lifestyle, age and complete medical history,” he said.
Also, the managing director of Mac-Folly Hospitality Limited, owners of Lagos Marriot Hotel, Mr. Chike Ogeah, stressed that the medical check-up and collaboration was carefully designed to address the needs and circumstances of individuals and busy executives residing in metropolitan cities across Nigeria and West Africa in general.
He assured Nigerians that the programme would provide top-grade service comparable to standards obtainable in tourist destinations such as the UAE, Europe and the United States. He added that rendering such service in Nigeria offers the significant economic advantage of conserving much-needed foreign exchange.
According to him, providence has brought the two brands together, as they are sited a few metres from each other in GRA, Ikeja, hence the synergy to give Nigerians the best of services from the two organisations.
Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, who was special guest at the launch, said Nigerians spend an average of $1 billion annually on medical tourism for a range of health care needs.
He expressed the confidence that, with the facilities at Duchess International Hospital, Nigerians do not need to expend scarce foreign exchange to go for diagnosis or treatment abroad, as the hospital is well-equipped and staffed with experts in different fields to meet whatever health challenges they may be confronted with.