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Bishop Onah calls for enabling environment for investment in Nigeria
From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
The Enugu State government has called on Nigerian and foreign private investors to be part of her ongoing efforts to reverse the trend of medical tourism abroad, by investing in the provision of healthcare infrastructure in the state.
Governor Peter Mbah, who made the call in Enugu on Tuesday, during the grand opening ceremony of a medical diagnostics centre, Health Focus Diagnostics Nigeria, a product of a collaborative effort that united partners from Nigeria, Malaysia, Singapore and Germany, said Enugu remained the best choice for investors in the health sector.
Mbah, represented by Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai, expressed concern that Nigerians spend over $1.5 billion on medical tourism annually, contributing to the economic growth of other countries but invest nothing at home to build a strong healthcare system.
The governor noted that with the right investment, Enugu State has the potential of becoming the health tourism destination of Nigeria, adding that the state which boasts of over nine health institutions, producing medical doctors and other healthcare professionals, was best suited for investments in healthcare infrastructure.
“We need more facilities like this in Enugu state where people can come to seek medical care because no society develops without access to healthcare. Rather than jumping out of the country, we must begin to invest in public healthcare, this is the time for our people to come home and invest in healthcare,” he said.
The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka, Most Rev. Godfrey Onah, meanwhile, called on government to provide enabling environment for investment in Nigeria.
Onah, who officiated the Mass for the opening of the facility said, “I see this investment as expression of faith and hope not just in Nigeria but in God because it requires extra love for our people and faith in God to dare to put one’s money in an economy that is so unstable that one may invest one million, when he gets back his money in a short time it will be three million but less than the actual worth of the original investment because of an unstable economy.
“It is a risk, is an act of faith and hope, I hope really also that other people will take this risk but more importantly that the government provides an enabling environment with regard to a stable economy, security, steady power supply and infrastructure overall that will enable more and more people to invest in Nigeria and in other businesses like this one.”
In her address, Director of Health Focus Diagnostics Nigeria, Dr. Gerlinde Reiprich, said that the facility represents a unique collaboration between partners from Nigeria and Germany, working together to advance diagnostic excellence.
She explained that the facility will focus majorly on two key areas, including Cancer screening and diagnostics and combatting Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which is a growing global threat while also pledging that the centre will ensure that every patient consistently receives optimal care and treatment from their healthcare providers.
Gerlinde Reiprich noted that Enugu’s conducive business environment, coupled with the inspiring vision of the Governor and his Deputy Governor and the entire team informed the decision to invest in the state.
Also speaking, the Director of Unimedical Healthcare, Mr. Kevin Onah, said that the centre houses world-class facilities for carrying out diagnostic tests such as X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, Ultrasounds, blood test and other tests.
He said, “We want to assure our people that they will get the best of healthcare delivery at an affordable cost. We also plan to establish outlets across the state where we can collect samples and then, carry out the test in our facility in real time.”