President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday inaugurated the N21 billion Presidential Wing of the State House Medical Centre with the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, declaring that the facility will stop the need for the president and his family members to go abroad for medical treatment.
The wife of the president, who joined other dignitaries for the commissioning ceremony of the facility situated in the premises of Presidential Villa, Abuja, told correspondents that she came of with the idea of the Wing six years ago following the extensive stay of her husband abroad for medical treatment.
She said now that the facility is in place, Nigerian Presidents and their family members will no longer need to go abroad for treatment but may only fly medical experts to assist their colleagues in the country.
Asked her impression of the new medical center, she said: “I’m quite happy, feeling fulfilled. Though we are leaving but all the same, we thank God the project has come to reality.
“I have opted for it six years now. I initiated this project six years ago when my husband spent three months abroad, consecutively, 90 days. And it shouldn’t be because we have all the experts in Nigeria. We only need a good platform.
“The hospital that is supposed to serve the First Family is serving like 35,000 people which is quite much.
“That’s why I insisted we should have a VIP Wing within the proximity of the presidential villa.”
On whether the medical centre will now make it unnecessary for Nigerian leaders to go abroad for treatment, she responded: “Yes. This one is for the health and wellness of the First Family. They don’t need to go abroad now. They only need to may be fly in experts to help our people. You know.
“So, no need for any leader to spend months and months abroad because of health care.”
The idea of the state-of-the-art medical facility was conceived by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2012 and is expected to boost health infrastructure in the country.
President Buhari had taken a tour of the facility accompanied by the First Lady, members of the first family, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Chief of Staff Prof Ibrahim Gambari, and the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Tijjani Umar.
He expressed satisfaction with the fully-equipped and operational medical facilities at the Centre, noting that in the past eight years, holistic health care has been given a priority.
During his tour of the facility, President Buhari interacted with the local medical staff who received specialized training on handling the advanced equipment available at the facility.
The State House Permanent Secretary, in his welcome address, explained that the VIP facility is intended to be a one-stop shop for the provision of medical services to the President, Vice President and their families as well as other VIPs.
He said: “The establishment of the facility reflects Mr President’s commitment to prioritizing the health and well-being of Nigerians,” recounting that the initial idea resulted in the creation of a project brief in 2013, outlining the objectives, scope, and specifications for the facility’s construction.
However, it wasn’t until 2020 that President Buhari gave his approval for a comprehensive geotechnical survey and assessment of seven potential sites, he said.
Umar asded: ‘‘Mr. President selected this site for the project after he had gone round to personally inspect the proposed sites. This led to the development of a concept design, taking into consideration the specific requirements of its intended end – user.
‘‘The contract for the construction of the facility which occupies a floor area of 2,485 square metres across one suspended floor and a basement, was awarded to Messrs Julius Berger Nigeria, Plc as a turnkey project after a rigorous evaluation process and the site handed over to them in August, 2021.
‘‘However, it was on 1st November, 2021 that actual construction started after a ground – breaking event led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari and the project was completed on schedule and on budget in December, 2022.
‘‘All this was achieved due to the singular resolve and resilience of His Excellency Mr. President to address the long – identified need for such a facility and to bequeath a worthy legacy in this regard.
‘‘Today, to the Glory of God and country, this dream has been achieved and standing in all its splendor, before our very eyes is this technology – supported Presidential Wing of the State House Medical Centre.”
The Permanent Secretary acknowledged the relentless efforts of President Buhari and expressed gratitude to the First Lady for her unwavering support and advocacy for the project.
He also recognized the contributions of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President, and the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning.
Furthermore, he commended the project team and the management staff of the State House and State House Medical Centre for their dedication and efficiency.
The contractor, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, was praised for their commitment, competence, consistency, and exemplary workmanship, which played a significant role in the successful and timely completion of the project without exceeding the allocated budget.
The Permanent highlighted the services available at the new medical center, saying:
“The facility offers a wide range of specialized medical services, covering advanced diagnostics and treatments for which reason it is equipped with the latest medical equipment comparable to any in its category around the world.
“The range of services offered include Cardiac Catherization Laboratory[CathLab] for Cardiac Procedures; Operating Rooms for regular and Specialized Procedures including Organ transplantation; a 3-bed Intensive Care Unit for critical care; Specialized Infectious Disease Isolation
Suites; a dedicated Conference Room for emergency meetings; specialized Consultation Rooms for Cardiology, Dental, ENT, Nephrology [with Dialysis facilities and Opthalmology.
“Additional services include Observation Rooms for close monitoring; Medical Laboratory Services, Pharmacy, Physiotheraphy and a Central Sterile Supply Department[CSSD]. Others are a specialized Diagnostic Suite including MRI, CT Scan, Endoscopy and Digital X-ray equipment.
“This facility is in every regard, state-of-the-art and a delight to any medical professional.”
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Asked her impression of the new medical center, she said: “I’m quite happy, feeling fulfilled. Though we are leaving but all the same, we thank God the project has come to reality.
“I have opted for it six years now. I initiated this project six years ago when my husband spent three months abroad, consecutively, 90 days. And it shouldn’t be because we have all the experts in Nigeria. We only need a good platform.
“The hospital that is supposed to serve the First Family is serving like 35,000 people which is quite much.
“That’s why I insisted we should have a VIP Wing within the proximity of the presidential villa.”
On whether the medical centre will now make it unnecessary for Nigerian leaders to go abroad for treatment, she responded: “Yes. This one is for the health and wellness of the First Family. They don’t need to go abroad now. They only need to may be fly in experts to help our people. You know.
“So, no need for any leader to spend months and months abroad because of health care.”
More details to come later…
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