The Enugu State Government has announced plans to construct a 300-bed ultramodern hospital called the Enugu International Hospital.

The hospital aims to provide highly specialized medical services and reduce the need for residents to travel abroad for healthcare.

This project aligns with the government’s goal of making Enugu State a top destination for business, investment, tourism, and living.

The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Emmanuel Obi, after the Enugu State Executive Council meeting led by Governor Peter Mbah. Prof. Obi explained that the hospital would be located on Rangers Avenue in the heart of Enugu city, making it easily accessible from the international airport.

“This means that tomorrow is finally here in the health sector because primary healthcare is being addressed, secondary healthcare is being addressed, tertiary healthcare is also being addressed,” Prof. Obi said. “Now we are going to add quaternary healthcare to the scope, which simply means that an extension of tertiary care and advanced levels of medicine, which are highly specialised and not widely accessed, are now going to be available in Enugu in no distant time. So, medical tourism will reverse back to our environment.”

Prof. Obi further emphasized the hospital’s role in providing excellent medical services, research, and training, stating, “It is going to be the type of place that will give excellent medical services, including research and training. It will be that type of hospital that people will no longer have any reason to leave the shores of Nigeria to go to for healthcare.”

In addition, the EXCO meeting discussed measures to address the Mpox disease, formerly known as Monkeypox. Prof. Obi noted that the state government is scaling up awareness campaigns and working with health sector players, including the Akanu Ibiam International Airport’s Port Health Services, to ensure the safety and awareness of Enugu citizens. “Mpox has now become a disease of public health importance of international concern and the government of Enugu State has had discussions on how to ensure that effective surveillance, control, and prevention of any upsurge of Mpox in the state will be put in place,” he said.

In a related development, the Enugu State Government announced the formation of a committee to implement the Enugu State Geographic Information System Services Law of 2024. The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, explained that this initiative would enhance land value and streamline the process of obtaining Certificates of Occupancy. “With the implementation of the Enugu State Geological Information System, the era of applying for Certificate of Occupancy and it will take months to handle will be a thing of the past, because everything about land administration in the state will be handled digitally and electronically,” Dr. Udeh stated.

He added that the digital system would support the governor’s vision of eradicating poverty and increasing the state’s GDP from $4.4 billion to $30 billion. “So, very soon, it will be fully on stream and operational. This will not just transform land holding and administration, but even everything that relates to data concerning land,” Dr. Udeh concluded.