By Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin
Kwara State Governor AbdulRaman Abdulrazaq has said that his administration will expend the N2.5 billion donation received from Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative (ASR Africa) on the establishment of a multi-billion naira cancer treatment centre.
Abdulrazaq stated this at a virtual exco meeting in Ilorin, the state capital, adding that the centre would be situated at the Ilorin General Hospital.
He added that money would form a huge chunk of the funding for the modern facility.
The governor said the cancer centre – along with the 12-bed intensive care unit, the modern dental and eye care facilities recently added to the general hospital – is part of the huge investments to convert the General Hospital to a research facility (teaching hospital) for the takeoff of the medical college of the Kwara State University.
He said it would also reduce huge financial resources committed to medical tourism in the treatment of cancer by Nigerians, including patients from Kwara State.
The centre will serve as timely interventions for treatment of cancer for indigenes of the state and neighbouring states such as Niger, Kogi, Oyo and Osun with all the potentials to be the best cancer treatment centre in the North Central, he added.
He reiterated government’s commitment to put in place world-class mobile dental and eye clinics, which will move from place-to-place for treatment of affected patients in parts of the state.
AbdulRazaq also said funding for the introduction of telemedicine may be included in next year’s budget.
The telemedicine innovation, which will provide medical interventions, including referral services to citizens of the state in remote rural areas.
Leave a Reply