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From Scholastica Hir Makurdi
The Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) Makurdi, has organized the first ever International Health Investment Summit to put the hospital on the pedestal of excellence in the area of training and research and upgrade it a one stop hospital.
The Chief Medical Director, (CMD), Dr Stephen Hwande, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen in his office in Makurdi on Wednesday, said the hospital intends to raise N5 billion to set up a cancer treatment center at the hospital.
He noted a teaching hospital is a center for excellence; a center for research, training and quality healthcare and as such the BSUTH cannot be seen to be left out.
He said “We have organizing the first ever BSUTH International Investment Summit. We called it international because we have involved speakers within and outside the country and the programme will be accessed by people in the diaspora via zoom to enable them participate.”
Hwande who stated that healthcare cannot be left in the hands of government alone said elsewhere, majority of the hospital in Abuja and even abroad are not pure Government owned.
“So we want to mimick what has given them success. If we have investments into the hospitals from within the state, outside the state and internationally, and mimick how the outside world have achieved medical tourism, then we will bring the hub of medical tourism to Benue.”
The CMD said the summit which will kickstart on Thursday and end on Friday will feature a medical scientific exhibition which will display an array of medical equipments.
While stating that the theme for the event is “Attaining a One Stop Hospital,” the CMD explained that the goal is to ensure a situation where the hospital can offer quality care and treatment to the people on everything; be it the head, eye, ear, nose, tongue, chest, waist, bones, heart and among others.
He said all hands must be on deck to bring in the private sector, the diaspora, NGOs, well spirited individuals and government, to achieve the desired goals.
He also said that the summit would discuss attaining on stop hospital as the first arm while the hospital will also unveil it’s desire to set up an ultra modern cancer center.
He lamented cancer is seen like synonymous to death while in other climes they have tumour markers which can predict cancers, and early detection which can enhance cure for cancer.
“If you detect cancer early, it means that it is curable. So we want to start with early predictors. We want to start regular evaluation. We want to begin the process of changing the narrative of cancer management not only in Benue state but also in the North Central.”
Hwande said for the cancer center, the summit would also feature the launching of an endowment fund to raise N5 billion while Governor Hyacinth Alia and former Governor Gabriel Suswam as well as others as ambassadors would be honoured for their immense contribution to the development of BSUTH.
