BY Jesupemi Are
The state house clinic in Abuja says it will collaborate with Apollo Hospitals, an Indian facility, to help Nigerians suffering from cancer, kidney disease, and heart disease.
Munir Yakasai, medical director of the state house clinic, said this on Thursday in an interview with state house correspondents.
He said a team of specialist doctors from the Delhi-based hospital is already in Abuja to offer free medical consultations on malignant cancer, end-stage heart failure, as well as kidney transplants.
Yakasai added that the collaboration with Apollo Hospitals was motivated by the need to study India’s response to national health emergencies and ensure quality health care provision.
“It is a friendly medical collaboration and this has been going on for long, for almost six to seven years now. We noticed that a lot of patients from Nigeria have been going to India for treatment,” he said.
“Some of them are, of course, our patients and we noticed that among those hospitals in India, Apollo Hospitals happened to be one of the best so far that we have been getting good response and feedback from, and whenever we send our patient there, he/she comes back better.
“Apollo Hospitals approached us some years ago, when they came and introduced their hospital to us. They delivered lectures and some of our staff were sent to India, where they spent up to six weeks receiving training free of charge.
“This is something that we truly appreciate and once in a while, they come around and give us lectures, and if we have any question that requires their attention, we introduce such patients and they see them here. So, it is a good collaboration.”
Varun Sukhija, leader of the delegation from Apollo Hospitals, said the collaboration with the state house clinic is aimed at exchanging knowledge with Nigerian doctors.
“We don’t want a situation whereby patients must travel to India for treatment. We are creating a path through which there will be knowledge exchange with Nigerian doctors too,” he said.
“So, we also have many Nigerian doctors through that path and we are giving them training in Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi.
“We have over 73 centres where they are being trained and when they are done, they will come and give their services to their Nigerian colleagues and can give treatment to patients locally here in Nigeria also.”
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