Otti flags off construction of Abia medical village soon, says health sector, important to state’s economy
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Dr, Alex Otti, has disclosed that the health subsector was very important to the state’s economy which informed the move by his administration to build a medical village expected to make the state a destination for medial tourism.
Speaking while hosting the Extended Hands of Grace and Lifted Hands team from the United States of America (USA), in his Umuehim Nvosi country home in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area on Sunday, Governor Otti, said that he would soon flag-off the construction of the proposed Abia Medical Village. A team, he said, has been put in place to ensure the realization of the project.
The Extended Hands of Grace and Lifted Hands team is in Abia on a medical mission at Umuekwule village, Afugiri in Umuahia North Local Government Area of the State.
According to the Governor, Abia’s medical village would be patterned like the medical city in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate capital.
“Healthcare for us is the most important subsector of our economy,” Dr. Otti told his visitors, adding that in the next few weeks, “we will, at the minimum, be flagging-off our medical village which promises to bring in what you have in the medical city in Dubai to Abia. We have a team that we have put together that is working on it and majority of them are also in the US.”
“I will like the Special Adviser on Health to also engage with those of you who can help. We will be happy to receive your help. We have a team from Atlanta and other people that are committed to making it happen”.
Explaining why his administration was embarking on building the medical village, Governor Otti said, “we want, in our own little way, to reverse medical tourism from India and other parts of the world to Abia.”
“Statistics has it that we (Nigerians) spend somewhere between USD 2 billion and USD 2.5 billion annually on medical tourism. Because we are modest and not greedy, we are just targeting ten percent (10 %) of that,” he added.
He profoundly thanked the team for their medical mission in the state, saying that it means a whole to him and Abians. He urged the leader of the team to put the state on notice ahead of time when next they would be coming to enable the government to give them all the support they need.
Earlier in his speech, the team lead, Ambassador Uche Ogbonna, thanked Governor Otti for the love he has shown them, adding that they were happy to be in Abia State.
“A few days ago, I was here and you showed us your love for the state which we have seen through your actions. The Americans are very happy to be here because they have seen what you have done.
“You also let us know that by next year when we come, you are going to assign some hospitals to us where we can do more outreach.
“We are grateful to be here, thank you so much for what you are doing for our people. We are happy we are here; we’ll let the organisations know of the support that you offered to us towards this outreach,” Amb. Ogbonna said.
Governor Otti was joined in receiving the team by the Lawmaker representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North & South Federal Constituency, Hon. Obi Aguocha, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, Commissioner for Works, Engr. Don Otumchere, Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Ngozi Azodo, Principal Secretary to the Governor and Chief Strategy Officer to the Government, Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzukwu, a member of the Abia State Diaspora Commission, Rev. Annie Onwuchekwa, among others.
