Abia state governor, Alex Otti, will flag off the construction of the proposed Abia Medical City aimed at curbing capital flight through medical tourism in Nigeria by July this year.
Okey Kanu, Commissioner for Information, revealed this in a press briefing to journalists on the outcome of the state executive meeting at the State House, Umuahia. In addition to the Abia Medical City 11 rural roads projects and three agro-logistics hubs or markets under the World Bank-Assisted Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) are also to be flagged off by the governor.
“The Abia Medical City is the signature project that will ultimately reverse medical tourism, not just in Abia State or the Southeast, but in the whole of Nigeria and the West African sub-region“.Mr Kanu said
“This flagship project, when completed, will transform the state into a major hub for advanced medical services.
“It occupies a land space of about 200 hectares, and will feature a 1,000-bed capacity hospital, which will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
“It will also feature facilities for medical tourism, a five-star hotel complex and accommodation for both patients and their families, ” he added.
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Partnership
The commissioner revealed that the project is a brainchild of a partnership between the Abia state government and MKP International Holdings. The partnership consists of a Build, Operate, and Transfer business model with the Abia government offering its reputation, land, and other logistics.
He also confirmed that the access road to the proposed site of the facility is already completed, and the entire project will last for 24 months.
Take Home
- Capital flight from Nigeria due to medical tourism exceeds $1 billion annually, as affluent Nigerians seek advanced treatments abroad in countries like India and the UK.
- The capital flight strains the economy, weakens the naira, and create gaps in local healthcare infrastructure, despite growing domestic medical capabilities.
