‘Cedarcrest has Saved Nigerians from Reduced Medical Tourism Abroad’

Martins Ifijeh

The Medical Director, Cedarcrest Hospitals, Dr. Felix Ogedegbe, has stated that the hospital’s healthcare initiative has played a critical role in saving many Nigerians from embarking on medical tourism abroad.

Stating this during the inauguration of a branch of the hospital in Lagos, he said the hospital’s specialised services have made the country to now earn foreign exchange as patients from neighbouring African countries now patronise the hospital.

“We have patients from neighbouring countries that come here for treatment. Some patients previously operated abroad unsuccessfully, have had to be re-operated here in Cedarcrest. Our operations in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt have catered for nearly 40,000 new patients and over 70,000 returning patients over the last 10 years, saving the country huge amounts in foreign exchange.”

He further said since inception in 2008, Cedarcrest hospitals have been at the forefront of promoting the local availability of world class healthcare to Nigerians. “Why really do our people need to go abroad at great costs when we have the capacity to do so much at home?” Ogedegbe queried.

He pointed out that Cedarcrest has grown in leaps and bounds from a mono specialty 12-bed hospital in Garki, Abuja. “We commenced operations in Port Harcourt working out of the Shell Hospital in 2009, became multi-specialty in 2010 and opened the first Lagos hospital in Ikeja in 2012. Today, we boast of about 110 beds. Our flagship purpose built is now 95 per cent complete with trauma centre, major radiologic modalities including MRI, CT scan, digital X rays, bone densitometry, USS and modern admission wards.”

On his part, the Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi Etti, commended the management of the hospitals for establishing a branch of the hospital in Lagos.
He said the establishment of an arm of the hospital in Lagos aligns with the strategic roadmap of the administration in Lagos which has the health and welfare of all its citizens at heart. He enjoined Lagosians to take advantage of the qualitative healthcare delivery that the hospital, through its specialised services, is bringing to the state.