…as hospital records over 5,000 patients from 20 countries in first year
In a bid to ensure quicker access to specialised healthcare and reduce medical tourism, the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank), Dr George Elombi, has said the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE), Abuja, is delivering world-class medical care in Africa, enabling many patients to receive advanced treatment without travelling overseas
Speaking after touring the facility recently in Abuja, Dr Elombi said the hospital had demonstrated that Africa has the expertise, technology and professionals needed to deliver healthcare that meets global standards
Dr Elombi said the sophisticated equipment and highly qualified medical professionals at the hospital now make it possible for patients to receive advanced treatment within Africa
He said the bank would continue investing in the facility, including ongoing expansion projects, and revealed plans to replicate the model in other African countries, including Tanzania and Cameroon
He said, “There is no need to go abroad again for most of those conditions, really no need. That was the purpose. We expect many people in the sub-region, not just Nigeria, to begin to look up to this specialised facility
“We feel extremely satisfied with what’s going on. There is need for further investments, and we are committed to making them until this hospital gets to the level where we all think it must be.”
Chief Executive Officer of AMCE, Brian Deaver, described the hospital’s first year as proof that Africa can build and sustain world-class centres of excellence
He disclosed that the hospital recently completed two stem cell transplants for patients with multiple myeloma, saying the procedure gives patients an additional five to 10 years of life and can be repeated when necessary
On research, Deaver said construction had already begun on a medical office complex that would support clinical trials, medical research and innovation
He said, “We have done some remarkable things up to this point, from open heart surgery to stereotactic radiosurgery and stem cell transplants. Everything is going as planned
“The research will continue. The construction you see behind us is for a medical office building where we will be doing clinical trials and research.”
Speaking on the use of artificial intelligence, he said the hospital had already integrated AI into some aspects of patient care, particularly in radiology and cancer treatment
He also disclosed that the Africa Life Sciences Foundation currently has at least 75 million dollars to support patients who cannot afford treatment, fund research and finance additional medical equipment
Despite the progress, Deaver acknowledged challenges, including unstable electricity supply and utility services, noting that the hospital relies on multiple power
He said, “We already use artificial intelligence in our imaging departments to help identify abnormalities alongside our radiologists. In radiation therapy, AI monitors a patient’s breathing and controls the treatment beam for greater precision.”
He, however, said Nigeria had continued to provide a rich pool of skilled professionals, with some vacancies attracting as many as 1,000 applicants, while specialised training programmes were being developed to produce more experts locally
Also speaking, Consultant Orthopaedic and Spine Surgeon and Director of Education and Learning at AMCE, Professor Michael B. Ode, highlighted some of the complex procedures now being carried out successfully at the hospital
He recounted the successful spinal surgery performed on a patient who arrived unable to walk because of a severely herniated disc that compressed nerves in the lower back
According to him, surgeons carried out an emergency decompression procedure, removing the damaged disc and relieving pressure on the nerves, after which the patient regained movement and showed significant improvement
Professor Ode added that the hospital had also successfully treated an inoperable lung tumour using high precision stereotactic radiotherapy and had carried out multiple complex open heart procedures, demonstrating AMCE’s capacity to deliver highly specialised medical care that previously required treatment abroad
The visit comes as the hospital marked its first year of operations, during which it has treated more than 5,000 patients from over 20 countries across four continents, establishing itself as a regional referral centre for specialist healthcare
The hospital also recorded several landmark achievements, including West Africa’s first Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for lung cancer, the successful completion of its first Triple Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) procedure and two stem cell transplants for patients suffering from multiple myeloma
Its advanced laboratory has processed more than 40,000 diagnostic tests, while the cardiac programme has completed 10 open heart surgeries, 11 cardiac surgical procedures, 99 catheterisation laboratory procedures and 173 anaesthesia-supported procedures within its first year
The centre has also commenced nuclear medicine services with SPECT CT imaging for bone scans, renograms and perfusion scans, while PET CT imaging is expected to begin later this year
