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By Chinonso Alozie, Owerri

The Imo state government on Friday, said that it would end medical tourism abroad by establishing a medical city in the state.

The commissioner for Health, Dr. Barthy Okorochukwu, disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri.

According to the government, that the purpose was to facilitate health care delivery to their people, attract investors as well as create employment opportunities for the youths in the state.

On how they intended to achieve it, the government said: “We want to have a medical city, where you have so many health facilities in a village for example Neurosurgical Centres, Cancer treatment center, Radiotherapy, special care neonatology center, Minimal access surgical center, specialised Assisted Reproductive units among others.

“That is while we are not only doing the 2021 Health Summit, we are also looking at an Investment Program which will enable us to look at what we have on ground and where are we going to.

“From where we are and where we want to get to, we now know what we need to put in place to actually get to our final destination.

The Health Summit and Investment is to take a holistic review of the Health System in Imo State to showcase what we have, then we plan and get it right. This will help us in the issue of the medical city that we a’re talking about. For instance Shoprite is an entity where you have different organisations owing shops.

“When you get to shoprite you will get anything you want inside the mall so this is the history of the medical City, as we have not had it anywhere in Nigeria but we want our Governor to be the first to have such in Nigeria, where you have so many health facilities in a village .

“So once you get to the medical city you will get all you need in health care delivery. This will end medical tourism outside Imo state and Nigeria. Yes I do. A lot of them wants to come in.

“What we are talking about is having an enabling environment and a support from the government. Looking at the dwindling economy, the only support the government can give now is to at least give them piece of land to raise these structures health facility.”

“When the government does that, it’ll also raise a good level of employment for our youths and also project Imo State as one of the health friendly states that has capacity,” government said.