The African Medical Center of Excellence (AMCE) has recorded two major milestones with the successful completion of its first open-heart surgery and the delivery of West Africa’s, and arguably Central and East Africa’s, first stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for lung cancer, it emerged on Monday.
The landmark procedures carried out by the Abuja-based hospital, commissioned barely six months ago, have started strengthening Africa’s capacity for complex cardiac care, marking a decisive step in Nigeria’s effort to reduce dependence on overseas medical treatment.
Its long-term investment in advanced medical infrastructure and skilled human capital, according to the Chief Executive Officer of AMCE, Brian Deaver, is beginning to reshape the health sector, expanding access to precision medicine once available only abroad while reversing medical tourism and slowing the outward migration of health professionals.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, Deaver said the facility is measuring progress not by structural gaps in the health system but by tangible clinical outcomes delivered within just six months of operation.
“We are defining ourselves not by what we lack, but by what we are already achieving and delivering for patients every single day,” he said.
According to him, early patient data indicate that the strategy is already delivering results, with the reversal of outward medical tourism showing stronger prospects than initially expected.
He said seven Nigerian patients who had planned treatment in the United Kingdom and the United States returned to receive care at AMCE, while others who had scheduled procedures in Egypt and elsewhere cancelled their foreign travel in favour of treatment at the centre, adding that requests have also been received from patients in South Africa and Ghana.
Deaver disclosed that as recently as last Friday, a 60-year-old patient who was hours away from a catastrophic cardiac event underwent a complex intervention involving the placement of five stents and was discharged the following day.
“These are complex, life-saving interventions now being delivered routinely at AMCE,” he said.
According to him, the stereotactic radiosurgery service was delivered to real patients as part of routine clinical care rather than as a pilot or demonstration project, underscoring the depth of technical and clinical readiness achieved within a short period.
That capacity, the CEO said, is supported by advanced diagnostic infrastructure, including a 3 Tesla MRI with paediatric anaesthesia capability, allowing precise diagnosis for both adult and paediatric patients, while adding that the diagnostic platform is also providing services to health institutions in Abuja
Noting that the original vision behind AMCE was to ensure that patients in Nigeria and across West Africa could access world-class care without travelling abroad, Deaver stressed, “A patient in Abuja, Abidjan, Dakar or Lomé should be able to access world-class diagnostics and treatment without crossing an ocean”.
The Clinical Director, Dr Mohammed Ibrahim, said the institutionalised global best practices at AMCE through its partnership with King’s College Hospital London is unquantified, while disclosing that the centre is already preparing patients for more complex procedures, including valve repairs and replacements.
By expanding its cardiovascular and specialised services, Deaver said the hospital is reinforcing its commitment to curb medical tourism by reversing the estimated $6–10 billion Africans spend annually seeking treatment abroad and stem the long-standing brain drain of medical professionals by creating high-quality career opportunities within Africa’s borders.
The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Aisha Umar, said AMCE has rapidly evolved into a multidisciplinary centre delivering cardiovascular, oncology, haematology, radiology, surgical and internal medicine services.
She disclosed that within five weeks, more than ten interventional cardiac procedures were completed, including coronary angiography, stenting, pacemaker implantation and primary coronary intervention.
“This progress culminated in the first elective open heart surgery and coronary artery bypass graft supported by a fully operational catheterisation laboratory,” she said.
Dr Umar noted that the economic implications are significant, stressing that procedures costing about $3,000 at the facility would typically cost up to five times that amount abroad when travel, accommodation, and related expenses are included.
She confirmed that the Centre’s services are priced at less than 50 percent of comparable care in the US, UK, Dubai, or India, with patients paying in naira.
In oncology alone, Clinical Director of Oncology, Dr Boules Gabriel said the centre had already recorded 130 new patients within three months, averaging about 43 patients monthly.
He said there have been over 400 clinical encounters, with 27 patients booked for chemotherapy and 160 sessions planned.
According to him, radiotherapy services include 31 patients scheduled for 651 treatment fractions, while 30 percent of outpatient and inpatient encounters involved palliative care consultations.
He said AMCE is now delivering stereotactic body radiotherapy for lung cancer using motion-managed technology, enabling curative treatment while protecting surrounding organs.
He said the first patient treated was an 83-year-old who was not eligible for surgery, adding that referrals from public and private health facilities within and outside Abuja are already at an optimal level.
Beyond patient care, the facility’s Chief Operating Officer, Anshul Govila, said AMCE is deliberately tackling health workforce migration by embedding skills transfer and hands-on clinical training into its operating model.
Only 15 percent of the hospital’s workforce are expatriates, with the majority made up of Nigerian nurses, clinicians and paraclinical staff, he said, noting, “Medicine cannot be learned by observation alone. It must be taught through hands-on patient care,” Govila said.
He explained that expatriate specialists work directly alongside Nigerian teams, guiding them through advanced procedures they may not have encountered during training, with the goal of building a workforce capable of independently delivering complex care over time.
Oluranti Doherty, Managing Director of Export Development, said “AMCE milestones show what is possible when we build capacity locally, reducing the continent’s dependence on outbound medical tourism, retaining vital clinical expertise, and strengthening Africa’s broader health ecosystem.
“AMCE is advancing a new era of health dignity for Africans, and we are proud to support its continued leadership in complex and innovative care.”
