Following the launch of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) Premium facility, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), UPTH, Professor Henry Ugboma, has said the newly launched UPTH Premium would drastically reduce capital flights and medical tourism in the region.
Ugboma, who spoke at the unveiling of the state-of-the-art facility located in UPTH complex, said the new hospital is of same standard with any hospital overseas.
He stated that the idea of UPTH Premium was birthed by a quest to face the challenges faced by people who want to seek specialized medicare abroad, who goe through so much and the huge financial implications.
“The problem associated with moving patients from here to outside state or country is a major issue. So, we took it upon ourselves and consulted with the board, and we agreed to map out projects that will benefit our people, things that are affordable, achievable and to reduce capital flight and medical tourism.
“This project was one of them and we are happy today that we have achieved it”, Ugboma said.
The CMD commended the hospital’s board and their partners for keying into their dream of birthing a world-class medical facility to attend to specialized healthcare needs of the people.
He disclosed that the facility would run on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis.
“I thank my board for making it possible, because without your support we won’t be able to achieve this. We thank the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that listened to us to put up this facility and the manager of the facility, Dr. Teinye Isokariari, who is also our product here, for envisioning into our dream and to have come out with this project.
“Public Private Partnership is the way to go and that’s why we brought in Patricare. We gave them this infrastructure and they gave the final torch”, he added.
The Chief Medical Dirrctor emphasized that the new hospital does not diminish the existing teaching hospital, but would rather serve as a feeder to the new facility, while also assuring that the hospital is cost effective with all expertise intact.
“We have two systems here: the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, and UPTH Premium. Their cost can’t be the same, but what we have here can accommodate everybody.
“What we have here is like what you have outside the country, but definitely this is cheaper when you consider your flight ticket and all that.
“You have all the expertise here even in the teaching hospital. UPTH would serve as a feeder to the new hospital.
“Patricare is also coming in with their team of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who will impact positively on service delivery as all departments are complete”, he said

Earlier, the Managing Director of Patricare and Chief Executive Officer of UPTH Premium, Dr. Teinye Isokariari, said the driving vision behind the project is the desire to give back to his alma nater and to boost healthcare delivery in the region.

He explained that the new hospital aims to create a support system for the already existing structure in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.

“I feel comfortable bringing this back home to my alma mater because UPTH has one of the greatest minds.

“What we are trying to do is to make sure that we bring our colleagues oversees back home and for UPTH, what we are doing is to enable the private sector pluck into the resources that UPTH already has. So, the drive is to make the hospital, state and region great.

“We have put together a facility that has about seventy beds, we have four theaters, an Intensive Care Unit, Special Care Units, laboratory and quite a good facility here.

“The idea is to provide care at the same level you can get anywhere around the world”, Isokariari explained.

He assured that the management would continue to partner with their consultants, the management of UPTH and others to ensure that the value the hospital provides is not just driven by financial gains, but patients satisfaction.

Also Speaking, Commissioner for Health, Rivers State, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, said the State Government would partner UPTH Premium to ensure that it delivers on its objectives.

Represented by the Head, Rivers State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Systems (RSEMSAS), Dr. Sylvanus Ojums, Oreh said the State would partner the hospital because the services to be rendered there are for the benefit of Rivers people.

The Commissioner also assured that the emergency ambulance service system would be available to carry patients to the hospital at no cost.

By: Chinedu Wosu