By Chioma Obinna

Each year, thousands of Nigerians board planes not for leisure or business, but in desperate pursuit of something far more vital: adequate healthcare. From India to the United Kingdom, from Dubai to the United States, Nigerians spend an estimated $1.6 billion annually seeking medical treatment abroad. This exodus raises urgent questions about the state of the nation’s healthcare system.

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Medical tourism has become a lifeline for Nigeria’s elite and middle class, but it represents a stark reminder of inequality and institutional decay for the average citizen.

But a quiet revolution is underway in Lagos, where Kelina Hospital is steadily restoring confidence in Nigeria’s ability to offer world-class medical care.

Dedicated to minimising invasiveness and enhancing patient comfort through advanced surgical techniques, the facility is challenging the status quo and succeeding.

Led by medical specialists and urological experts, Kelina Hospital has recorded 6,000 surgeries without a single mortality in the operating room since its inception in 2008, a feat nearly unheard of in the Nigerian medical space.

One of its major breakthroughs is the performance of 500 Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) surgeries over the past six years for patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)—a condition where the prostate enlarges and obstructs urine flow.

According to the Medical Director, Kelina Hospital, Dr. Celsus Undie: “By the next day after surgery, the patient is up and doing, and they are already eating on the day of surgery. It is recommended as the most appropriate approach to remove the prostate in this kind of situation, compared to other methods.”

He emphasised that over 80 per cent of their surgeons perform procedures using local or regional anaesthesia, keeping patients awake and eliminating the need for deep sedation thereby reducing surgical risks.

Myths and misinformation

He stressed that prostate cancer remains the most common cancer affecting men in Africa, with an incidence of about 32 per 100,000 and a mortality rate of 16 per 100,000.

According to Kelina’s urologists, prostate cancer is hereditary, making PSA testing crucial for at-risk men.

Undie also debunked a popular myth, saying that “Frequent sex is not scientifically proven to prevent prostate cancer.”

He explained the link between testosterone levels and cancer risk, adding that in severe cases where the cancer has spread, removal of the testes (castration) may be considered. For localised cancer, removing the cancerous prostate gland remains the best treatment with high survival and minimal sexual side effects.

“In the 54 prostate cancer surgeries we performed last year, all patients maintained normal urinary control, and many experienced normal erections,” Undie said.

He noted that techniques are employed to preserve nerves responsible for erection, and for younger patients with non-cancerous conditions, ejaculatory function is prioritised. IVF is also available for those with post-treatment fertility issues.

Undie expressed concern over the continued trend of Nigerians travelling abroad for even minor procedures.

He cited a patient who was billed $25,000 for prostate surgery in the U.S., but received the same procedure at Kelina Hospital for under 30 percent of that cost. “We offer comparable, if not superior, care with advanced technology right here in Nigeria.”

He said, “It is disheartening to see people fly abroad for routine procedures like appendectomy, hernia repair, lipoma excision, or prostate biopsy. These are procedures that typically take less than an hour. Travelling 12 hours for such minor surgeries not only reflects poorly on us, but it also exposes patients to unnecessary risk. Several patients have returned from overseas with complications, including infections, after minor procedures like prostate biopsy. We are just introducing new technology.

“The idea is that we are interested in what the government is trying to do. The government is trying to curb medical tourism. The government is trying to bring our citizens who are practising outside the country back home. They need a platform where they can work when they come home. We need to provide that platform, which is what is bringing my colleague back into the country to assist us. We need to have appropriate technology not just for our colleagues who are outside the country to come back home but also for patients who are interested in the best technology for their work, for their surgery, so that they can stay at home.”

One of the hospital’s early milestones was having Dr. Mahesh Desai, President of the World Association of Urological Surgeons (SIU), perform its first two HoLEP surgeries. Today, Kelina’s youngest patient treated for prostate issues was just 22 years old, a stark reminder of the importance of early screening.

He explained that despite challenges like Nigeria’s unstable power supply, Kelina has invested heavily in infrastructure, transformers, generators, and UPS systems to guarantee uninterrupted care and protect sophisticated medical equipment.

From Laparoscopy to Robotics

He said Kelina was the first hospital in Nigeria to perform Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy in 2012. “Both patients are still alive and well. In 2024 alone, the hospital performed 54 such surgeries.

“We expect to receive a surgical robot in the coming weeks,” he said.
A renowned robotic surgeon based in France but licensed to practice in Nigeria and by the American Medical Council, Dr. Bertin Njinou has joined the Kelina team to spearhead this advancement.

He said: “This development will position Kelina as a leader in robotic urological surgery in Nigeria.

Njinou, who also spoke at the press conference, emphasized the increasing prevalence of prostate cancer among black men globally, citing genetic factors as a primary reason. He stressed the importance of early detection through Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood tests starting at age 40 for individuals with risk factors, such as a family history of prostate cancer. “Early detection is the key,” Njinou stated, highlighting that timely diagnosis significantly improves treatment outcomes. He also advised on the benefits of good nutrition, including foods like broccoli, cucumber, garlic, green tea, and cooked tomatoes, in overall cancer prevention
Speaking, the Head of Corporate Relations at Kelina Hospital, Erica Idoko, emphasised the hospital’s commitment to continuous professional development, with staff and surgeons regularly undergoing training internationally.

She also highlighted the hospital’s openness to collaborations with licensed international surgeons, further enriching their expertise.

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