Management of Duchess International Hospital, Lagos, says it is investing heavily in cardiovascular health and specialist care to curb medical tourism as the hospital marks its fifth anniversary, having performed 2,053 complex surgical procedures, including 44 open-heart surgeries.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0The management said the hospital had reduced the need for Nigerians to travel abroad for cardiac treatment and surgery by providing high-quality care locally.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0It pledged to intensify efforts to reverse the trend of medical tourism.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0According to the management, Nigerian medical specialists in the diaspora are returning home to perform complex surgeries at the hospital, giving patients access to advanced treatment without travelling abroad.<\/p>\n
\u00a0The move, it noted, is helping patients avoid long waiting lists abroad and reduce treatment costs by more than 50 per cent.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0The West African Health Sector Unions Network disclosed in 2022 that Nigerians spent an estimated $1bn annually on medical tourism.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0It attributed the exodus of Nigerian doctors to countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States to inadequate healthcare facilities and poor working conditions.<\/p>\n
\u00a0The Chief Operating Officer of Duchess International Hospital, Dr Olajide Ojo, said the hospital provided care to an estimated 40,000 outpatients annually, delivered 500 babies and performed 2,053 paediatric and adult surgical procedures, about 65 per cent of which were major and complex operations, including spinal surgeries.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0Speaking on the anniversary theme, Five Years of Delivering World-Class Healthcare: Transforming Medicine Through Innovation and Excellence, which highlighted the hospital\u2019s milestones since its establishment in 2021, Ojo said the facility had built clinical capacity to meet Nigerians\u2019 growing healthcare needs.<\/p>\n
\u00a0The consultant paediatrician said the hospital had successfully performed 44 open-heart surgeries, comprising 20 paediatric and 24 adult procedures, since launching its open-heart surgery programme in 2023.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0Ojo explained that the hospital\u2019s collaboration with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, through the Duchess Waiting List Initiative, had improved access to cardiovascular surgery for patients facing prolonged waiting periods.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cThese milestones tell a strategic story of a hospital committed to advancing boundaries of specialist medicine while never losing sight of the individual human being at the centre of every encounter,\u201d Ojo said.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0He noted that the hospital\u2019s first five years represented \u201cnot just the growth of an institution but the steady building of clinical capability, the strengthening of trust and the transformation of healthcare, one patient at a time.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0The Chairman of Duchess International Hospital, Dr Yemi Onabowale, said the hospital had touched lives over the past five years through its affordable healthcare programmes and corporate social responsibility initiatives.<\/p>\n
\u00a0He said the hospital was established to address gaps in advanced medical care and reduce Nigerians\u2019 dependence on overseas treatment. <\/p>\n
\u00a0From cardiac care to diagnostics and specialist services, Onabowale said the hospital remained focused on delivering care that met international standards within a local setting.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0The cardiologist commended the hospital\u2019s management and staff for their dedication to quality patient care, noting that the facility won the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award for Best Private Healthcare Facility in Nigeria in 2024 and 2025.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cOur future ambition is to continue to expand access to quality healthcare, strengthen specialist services, invest in our people and technology, and ensure that more Nigerians can receive advanced medical treatment at home,\u201d Onabowale said.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0Looking ahead, the chairman said Duchess International Hospital aimed to strengthen its clinical capabilities, expand access to specialist care, transform more lives, deepen its social impact and boost confidence in Nigeria\u2019s healthcare system over the next five years.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, who attended the anniversary as a special guest, said the Federal Government was addressing the exodus of medical professionals abroad, popularly known as japa, by creating an enabling environment for healthcare professionals to practise in Nigeria.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0He said the government was pursuing this through investments in modern hospitals and improved remuneration packages for medical personnel.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Salako added that the Federal Government was strengthening the tertiary healthcare system to reduce medical tourism.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0He commended Duchess International Hospital for its advanced medical facilities and quality patient care, which he said had distinguished it from other healthcare providers.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0The minister also praised the hospital for its contribution to the healthcare system, noting that its efforts complemented the government\u2019s investments in the sector.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0In her remarks, the wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said strong partnerships between the public and private sectors were essential to expanding healthcare capacity, encouraging innovation and improving service delivery.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0Represented by the Medical Director of the General Hospital, Ebute Metta, Dr Folakemi Irewole-Ojo, Sanwo-Olu commended the hospital\u2019s management for providing high-quality healthcare in Lagos State and contributing to efforts to reverse medical tourism.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0Delivering the anniversary lecture, a professor of cardiology at Spire Hospital, Cardiff, UK, Prof. Nicholas Ossei-Gerning, warned that cardiovascular diseases and stroke remain leading causes of death globally, urging regular medical checks to detect risk factors early.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0The cardiologist disclosed that erectile dysfunction, which many men were reluctant to discuss, could be an early warning sign of underlying cardiovascular problems.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Ossei-Gerning discussed the management of cardiovascular health and highlighted major risk factors, including high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, stress, depression, anxiety and a lack of social support.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0He described erectile dysfunction as an important marker of cardiovascular disease, urging men to undergo regular medical checks to identify potential problems early and reduce the risk of life-threatening complications.\n <\/p>\n
Source: <\/p>\n
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