TheCable

President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate upgrade of critical health facilities across the six geo-political zones.

Announcing the approval in a statement on Friday, Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, said the upgrades are in line with the administration’s vision of overhauling the health and social welfare sector for enhanced service delivery to all Nigerians.

Ngelale said the federal ministry of health and social welfare in collaboration with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) will carry out the comprehensive upgrade of cancer-treatment infrastructure and other critical developments in six tertiary hospitals across the geopolitical zones.

He said the federal government would also carry out a full renovation and expansion of prior investments to improve broad-based access to high-quality healthcare in the six geo-political zones.

“Upgrading health infrastructure and equipment is a top priority of President Tinubu’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative,” the statement reads.

He said six teaching hospitals across the geo-political zones have been marked for the establishment of oncology and nuclear medicine centres per facility.

The health facilities approved for upgrading include the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, University of Nigeria (Nsukka) Teaching Hospital, Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, University of Jos Teaching Hospital, and Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

Ngelale added that there will also be 10 critical healthcare service expansion projects across the fields of radiology, clinical pathology, medical and radiation oncology, and cardiac catheterisation that will be carried out in 10 hospitals across all geo-political zones.

They include: north-west: Reference Hospital, Kaduna — (Radiology, clinical pathology, medical and radiation oncology); south-east: Medical Diagnostic Centre Complex, Enugu — (Radiology, clinical pathology, medical & radiation oncology); north-west: Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto — (Diagnostic and intervention radiology, clinical pathology, and cardiac catheterization); and south-west: University College Hospital, Ibadan — (Diagnostic and intervention radiology, clinical pathology, and cardiac catheterization).

Others are south-south: University of Uyo Teaching Hospital — (Radiology and clinical pathology); north-east: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi — (Radiology and clinical pathology); south-south: Federal Medical Centre, Asaba — (Radiology and clinical pathology); north-central: Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre Complex, Ilorin — (Radiology and clinical pathology); north-central: Jos University Teaching Hospital — (Radiology and clinical pathology); and north-east: Federal Medical Centre, Nguru — (Radiology and clinical pathology).

The presidential aide said the projects are be delivered within 12 to 18 months, nothing that the upgrade will improve screening and diagnostics, reduce mortality rates, and improve outcomes for non-communicable diseases.