The Enugu State Government has set a target of reducing medical tourism by Nigerians by as much as 40% within one year of the commencement of operations at the Enugu State International Hospital.
Sam Agwu, the Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital, stated this during an inspection tour of projects executed by the Governor Peter Mbah administration for members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Enugu State Council.
Agwu said the hospital was established to transform and standardise the State’s healthcare system to be comparable with what is obtainable in developed countries.
He lamented the huge amount of money Nigerians spend annually seeking medical treatment abroad, putting the figure at about $2 million.
According to him, the Enugu State International Hospital will operate as a quaternary health care center, rather than a tertiary institution, because of the sophistication of its facilities and the range of specialised medical services it will provide.
