MedServe, the wholly owned healthcare company of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), has, between 2020 and today, attended to 131,000 patients at its Kano diagnostic center, with evidence to support this.
The disclosure was made by Dr. Tolulope Adewole, Managing Director of MedServe, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of an ecology center at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.
He explained that close to 700,000 individual tests had been conducted across the laboratory and imaging facilities. He added that the same effort had been extended to Umuahia, Abia, and that over 10,000 patients had been treated in Lagos.
“MedServe is primarily committed to the socio-economic upliftment of Nigerians, focusing on expanding access to high-quality healthcare through medical infrastructure investment, capacity enhancement for key medical personnel, and strategic partnerships with stakeholders in the oncology value chain.
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“As we hope to inaugurate this center in Bauchi in the next 12 to 15 months, we assure that this project’s doors will never be closed. The patients of Bauchi will join that number and will have their own testimonials of what is going to happen.
“We focus on three key areas: equity, access, and quality, with our goal being to demonstrate equitable access.
“All lives are equal, and the same quality of service you receive elsewhere will be provided here.
MedServe’s healthcare expansion program follows the success of three demonstration projects, including the NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre (NLCC), NSIA-Kano Diagnostic Centre (NKDC), and the NSIA-Umuahia Diagnostic Centre (NUDC).
The phased expansion program will significantly enhance oncology and diagnostic care in Nigeria through the establishment of 23 diagnostic centers, three additional oncology centers, and seven catheterization laboratories co-located within federal tertiary institutions across the six geopolitical zones.
The new oncology and diagnostic centers are projected to serve approximately 5,000 and 350,000 patients, respectively, significantly reducing the burden of cancer and improving preventive care through diagnostics.
The healthcare expansion will further provide access to world-class oncology care, reduce cancer-related deaths, support the retention of foreign exchange that would otherwise be used for healthcare, and improve preventive care through proactive diagnosis.
It also aims to offer specialized treatments and cutting-edge technology on par with international standards, encouraging Nigerians to seek high-quality care within the country.
In his speech, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said that the construction of 10 first-class oncology and diagnostic centers is intended to promote equality and enhance access to quality healthcare service delivery in the country.
He stated that the centers would be constructed to meet international best standards under MedServe.
He highlighted that this initiative is part of the transformative efforts of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to unlock healthcare interventions for quality service delivery.
According to him, President Tinubu is heavily investing in the health sector to ensure every Nigerian has access to quality healthcare.
“Mr. President is very clear; he wants to transform this country. He wants to change the direction of this country, and we are fortunate that he chose health as one of those areas.
“In just one year, he has achieved what has not been done in the history of this country in the health sector.
“He has launched many initiatives and is building on what MedServe has accomplished. We are witnessing 10 major infrastructural projects with the groundbreaking that is taking place.
“In 12 months, we will start opening them across Nigeria.
“There are 6,000 centers that NSIA-MedServe is working on, and I believe the funds are available. These will also be completed within 12 to 18 months,” he said.
According to Pate, the federal government is retraining 120,000 frontline health workers, with 10,000 of them having already been retrained across the country, including Bauchi.
Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, commended NSIA-MedServe for the effective utilization of funds towards transforming healthcare service delivery in the country.
He said that the construction of the new oncology and diagnostic centers would ensure the delivery of quality healthcare services and encourage medical tourism in Bauchi State.
According to him, the initiative will stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and reduce poverty in the country.
The state governor, Bala Mohammed, stated that his administration has earmarked over N25 billion to upgrade the Specialist Hospital Bauchi to support the operation of the ATBU-TH.
Mohammed also mentioned that the state government has allocated the General Hospital, Misau, to expedite the establishment of the Federal Teaching Hospital project.
While pledging support for the federal government’s policies and programs, Mohammed praised President Tinubu for executing viable healthcare infrastructure development projects in the state.