The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, stated that there was no longer need for Nigerians to travel abroad for medical services since the country now houses some of the best healthcare facilities in the world. ayokinews.com reports
Lai made the remark during s visit to the Duchess International Hospital in Ikeja, Lagos state.
The minister expressed his utmost joy that the hospital was one of the initiatives that the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government backed. He added that even if a project is being spearheaded by the private sector, the government has either provided an enabling environment or, in certain situations, financial help.
He described the 100-bed hospital facility as “purpose-built, state-of-the-art,” with the goal of providing Nigerians with the best medical expertise available anywhere in the globe, employing the most sophisticated technology and therapies.
Lai noted that patients were already pouring in from other nations, emphasizing that it was a one-stop shop for all medical procedures.
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He recalled the N100 billion healthcare sector intervention fund, provided by the CBN, amid the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Bank of Industry (BOI), provided financial support for Duchess International Hospital. Recall that in the wake of COVID-19, the CBN set up the N100 billion healthcare sector intervention fund, now expanded to N200 billion, to provide credit support for the healthcare sector through long-term, low-cost financing,” the minister said.
According to him, the new development will now enable Nigeria to retain its foreign reserves, generate foreign exchange, create employment, reverse brain drain, become a medical tourism destination, and provide Nigerians with inexpensive and standard healthcare.
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