From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The State House Clinic in Abuja has said it will continue to work with an Indian hospital, Apollo, to help Nigerians suffering from cancer, kidney disease, and heart disease.
Medical Director in charge of the Clinic, Dr Munir Yakasai made the disclosure in Abuja on Thursday, in an interview with State House Correspondents.
He said a team of specialized Doctors from the Delhi based hospital is already in Abuja to offer free medical consultation on malignant cancer, end stage heart failure and remedies as well as kidney transplant.
He said: “It is a friendly medical collaboration and this has been going on for long, for almost 6-7 years now. We noticed that a lot of patients from Nigeria have been going to India for treatment.
“Some of them are of course our patients and we noticed that among those hospitals in India, Apollo Hospital happened to be one of the best so far that we have been getting good response and feedback from and whenever we send our patient there, he/she comes back much better.”
Yakasai went on to say that the collaboration with Apollo hospital was motivated by the need to study India’s response to national health emergencies and ensure quality health care provision.
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He said: “Apollo hospital approached us some years ago, when they came and introduced their hospital to us, they delivered lectures and some of our staff were sent to India, where they spent up to six weeks receiving training free of charge.
“This is something that we truly appreciate and once in a while they come around and give us lectures and if we have any question that requires their attention, we introduce such patients and they see them here, so it is a good collaboration.”
Leader of the delegation, Dr Varun Sukhija said the Apollo has the largest group of hospitals in India, with over 73, adding that their collaboration with State House Clinic is basically aimed at exchanging knowledge with Nigerian doctors.
“Our mission in Africa is always knowledge exchange programme. We don’t want a situation whereby, patients must travel to India for treatment. We are creating a path through which there will be knowledge exchange with Nigerian doctors too.
“So, we also have many Nigerian doctors through that path and we are giving them training in Appollo hospitals New Delhi. We have over 73 centers where they are being trained and when they are done, they will come and give their services to their Nigerian colleagues and can give treatment to patients locally here in Nigeria also,” he stated.
Sukhija, described Nigeria as a great country, as he expressed delight that very soon, kidney and bone marrow transplant have already started in the country.
“Nigeria is a great country. Whatsoever we are doing or we are trying to tell them, they always learn everything so, many things have now started in Nigeria as well; like liver, kidney and bone marrow transplant, these are things that very soon they will start in Nigeria.
“You can see that many countries are coming to Nigeria now for local treatment. This is way beyond that change we are bringing,” he said.
On her part, the representative of Apollo Information Centre in Abuja, Mrs Anita Yado, commended Nigerian government for doing well in many facets, especially the health sector.
“You see, I tell you, Nigerian government is doing quite well because they are doing wonderfully well. They are really working very hard. The health sector here is improving; so many hospitals have come up.
“I am in contact with many doctors as well and I am seeing that they are highly qualified doctors and this initiative form Apollo hospital can bring a lot of changes also,” she said.
Mrs Yado, who has lived in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, for 20 years, described herself as a Nigerian.
The medical delegation from India is expected to deliver lectures on hipec in surface malignancies, surgeries for end stage heart failure and kidney transplant in COVID times.