From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti will flag-off the construction of the Abia Medical City a 1,000- bed facility in Aba on July 10. The project according to government will reverse medical tourism in Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu while briefing journalists in Umuahia.
“The Abia Medical City is the signature project that will ultimately reverse medical tourism, not just in Abia State or the Southeast, but in the whole of Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
“This flagship project when completed, will transform the state into a major hub for advanced medical services.
“It occupies a land space of about 200 hectares, and will feature a 1,000-bed capacity hospital, which will be equipped with state-of the-art facilities. It will also feature facilities for medical tourism, a five-star hotel complex and accommodation for both patients and their families.
The Commissioner who put the total cost of the projectat $1.3b, noted that It is a collaborative project between the Abia state government and MKP International Holdings on a build, operate and transfer business model with the state government, offering its reputation, land, and other logistics.
He informed that the access road to the proposed site for the Medical City is already nearing completion, adding that the facility is projected to be delivered within 24 months.
Also to be flagged off soon, are 11 rural roads projects and 3 agro-logistics hubs or markets under the World Bank Assisted Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
The Commissioner disclosed that the state government has so far paid a total of N4.1b as counterpart funding for the RAAMP projects in the state.