Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, yesterday, said the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority-Lagos University Teaching Hospital (NSIA-LUTH) Cancer Treatment Centre in Lagos, will stem the trend of foreign medical tourism by Nigerians to Europe, the United States and other countries.
The minister who addressed newsmen after the inauguration of the NLCC Training and Administrative Building in LUTH, Idi-Araba, Lagos, said various categories of treatment and high technology investment had been deployed to the NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre which currently treats over 80 patients daily.
“What we want to do, going forward is to have patients coming from all parts of the country, from our neighbouring countries and all over Africa continent.
“And also, to stem the tide of medical tourism, so that Nigerian citizens do not have to go to the neighbouring countries, Europe and U.S to obtain cancer treatment. What we have here is very high technology equipment that are obtainable anywhere in the world.
“The training centre will upgrade the knowledge and skills of oncologists, radiologists, physicists and other personnel to provide excellent care to patients in Nigeria,” she said.
Ahmed said this was first of its kind, adding that there would be other centres in other parts of the country.
Dr. Olorunibe Mamora, Minister of State for Health, said he was pleased with the facilities at the centre.
Mamora commended NSIA and LUTH authorities for the project, adding: “So our people, patients suffering from cancer, will have no business going abroad again, because what they want to go for is already available here. Any type of cancer can be managed from what is here, particularly the common ones that we know, breast, cervical or prostrate.”