Medical Tourism: The Rivers Initiative

Plans by the Rivers Government to upgrade and standardize its health facilities aimed at making the state a hub of medical tourism in Africa is capable of limiting, if not totally making unnecessary the frequent overseas medical trips by Rivers people and other Nigerians. This is an uncommon initiative that deserves commendation.

Only recently, the National Coordinator of International Trauma Care Centre (ITCC), Dr. Sydney Ibeanusi told journalists during a facility tour of the Kelsey Harrison Hospital in Diobu and the Dental and Maxillo-Facial Specialist Hospital at Garrison, all in Port Harcourt, that the facilities have world-class medical equipment and experts to handle critical matters.

Said he: “Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has provided for Nigerians two world-class medical facilities. The hospitals are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment that cannot be found elsewhere in sub-saharan Africa.”

“With these hospitals fully open for service,” Dr. Ibeanusi continued, “Rivers State will become a tourism destination for Nigerians seeking medical attention as  a lot of Nigerians will prefer coming to the state and will no longer like travelling overseas for medical treatment.”

The ITCC coordinator had hinted that while the Kelsey Harrison Hospital has taken off, with only out-patients, the Dental and Maxillo-Facial Hospital would take off fully before the end of February, 2013. Both hospitals, he further hinted, would be managed by the ITCC with its own foreign experts for a period of 20 years, during which it would train its local personnel to take over from the foreign experts.

That Rivers State was becoming a new hub for medical tourism has eminently corroborated the promise of the state government to make some unmistakable statements with the health sector in the state.

The Tide notes with satisfaction that while the standard of both hospitals compares favourably with the best anywhere in the world, the Karibi Whyte Specialist Hospital being built at the Greater Port Harcourt Area would provide for our people the services for which some people go to seek medical attention overseas.

We also applaud the Rivers State government for the re-assurance by the State Health Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Godwin Mpi that the idea behind the two hospitals was to ensure quality medicare for the people at minimal cost.

Indeed, these efforts, in addition to the hundreds of model health centres across the state and the training of medical personnel, will position Rivers State for a giant leap in healthcare supply for which this administration cannot be commended enough.

The Tide expects other states of the federation to borrow a leaf from Rivers State as knee surgeries and MRS Scan that often take people out of the country are now done in Port Harcourt.  This is in addition to the health support for the young and the elderly in the state.

This worthy transformation of the health sector in Rives State is not only heart-warming but re-assuring, as those who would not be able to afford overseas treatment for some critical cases can now be saved locally. Not only that, local manpower would be developed, foreign exchange saved and the image of the country lifted.

The Tide, believes that healthcare is holistic and no aspect, including the quality of drugs presented in its facilities should be less than the best. This way, the world will come to Rivers State for treatment and attract to the state such benefits that would make every Nigerian proud.