The Governor of Niger State, Umaru Bago, has announced that between 20 and 50 medical doctors from Egypt will be visiting the state every month as part of his administration plan of not only strengthening healthcare delivery but also reducing medical tourism abroad.

The governor made this known during the commissioning of a state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the IBB Specialist Hospital in Minna.

Bago explained that the deployment of Egyptian medical specialists followed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sealed by the Niger State Government and Arab Contractors in Egypt.

According to him, a key provision of the agreement says patients seeking medical treatment in Egypt would first undergo consultation in the State, which would be carried out in collaboration with local doctors and visiting Egyptian experts, before referral to Egypt.

In addition, Governor Bago disclosed that all the 25 local government areas of the state would benefit from telemedicine services to be provided in partnership with Russian medical experts. The initiative, he said, forms part of the broader healthcare re-engineering programme of his administration.

To ensure effective implementation of the reforms, the governor revealed plans to recruit 5,000 healthcare workers to bridge manpower gaps in the state.

He said, “Our objective is to stop medical tourism overseas. This informs our strong commitment to healthcare manpower development and service delivery reform.

“Only cases beyond the capacity of facilities in the state would be recommended for treatment in Egypt, after thorough joint evaluation by Nigerian and Egyptian medical teams.

“The newly inaugurated ICU facility at the IBB Specialist Hospital, described as one of the most advanced in sub-sahara region, is equipped to handle complex brain and spinal surgeries.

“It is also equipped with modern medical facilities, including MRI systems, mammography units, and other sophisticated surgical equipment,” he said.

Bago reaffirmed that the investments are designed to position the State as a medical hub, capable of managing critical and specialised cases locally while reducing dependence on foreign hospitals. (Nigerian Tribune)

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