The vice president noted that the Hospital Group has a good business case in the latest investment. Rather than travel abroad for medical healthcare, Osinbajo urged Nigerians seeking quality care to visit the Duchess International Hospital, as it is affordable.
The chief executive officer, Duchess International Hospital, Dr. Adetokunbo Shitta-Bey said the Duchess International Hospital was put in place to reverse medical tourism.
Shitta-Bey said, ‘The healthcare industry in Nigeria is worth approximately N6.5 trillion, of which N5 trillion is spent in the private healthcare sector. Of this amount, N600 billion is expended by approximately 60,000 Nigerians abroad in search of healthcare mainly for chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer etc.”
He said this huge amount is spent on medical tourism because of the issue of trust, as majority of Nigerians no longer trust the Nigerian healthcare system. Health in the healthcare system refers to governance, the clinical and administration, it requires that we pay attention to clinical expertise, it requires that we make available the best technology, it requires that we follow best treatment pathways in accordance with international standards, the CEO Explained.
“For us to build that trust in the Nigerian healthcare system, the Duchess International Hospital was set up. At the Duchess we ensure that we pay attention to clinical expertise in combination to hospitality. We want to ensure that every Nigerian has access to quality and affordable healthcare, he added.
Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu while commending the Reddington Hospital Group, said he is excited that the Duchess International Hospital is domiciled in Lagos which increases access to care in the state. He urged residents in Lagos to seek quality health care services at the new hospital, adding that, “We don’t need to go out to seek healthcare outside the country.”