The Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin has declared that the era of seeking treatments elsewhere outside the country by Nigerians is over.

 He gave this declaration yesterday while inspecting the equipment at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.

The Minister who was accompanied on the States’ visit by the Minister of Special Duties, Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure, at the instance of President Musa Yar’Adua expressed delight over the state-of-the-art equipment, which he said, were comparable to the best in the world.

The minister who gave kudos to President Yar’Adua’s 7-Point Agenda, said it was one of the achievements of this administration to make healthcare delivery accessible to Nigerians.

 He  said, “ We need to let Nigerians know that they can come here and get the best treatment like anywhere else in the world”

   Osotimehin disclosed that the newly equipped and renovated teaching hospitals across the country could treat all manner of sicknesses including kidney problems, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. He added, “We have a good centre, and it is well run. With what we have here, we would be able to treat more Nigerians with varying diseases.

The Special Duties Minister said, he was amazed and also satisfied that the country could boast of sophisticated hospital equipment like others.

His words; “Nigerians are not aware of this, so I will take it upon myself to tell Nigerians about our hospitals and for them to stop medical tourism.”

He added that the hospitals need to do serious information dissemination to the public.

Chief Medical Director, (MD) of Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Bello Bala Shahu said that there was need for manpower training to improve.

He disclosed that five theatre rooms have been renovated and equipped for all specialties.

The Chief Medical Director of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Dr. Isah Dutse said Outage is one of the challenges the hospital is facing. He said that because of this, it has led to the malfunction of two equipment.

The minister who assured that power supply will improve in the next few months, said that the federal government was  looking at ways to subsidise cost so that many people can have access to it.

In 2006, the federal government embarked on renovation and equipping some of it’s teaching hospital. Vamed Engineering was given the contract to supply the equipment from which 14 hospitals have benefited. These hospitals include: Lagos University Teaching  Hospital(LUTH),  University College Hospital,(UCH), Ibadan, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, (UBTH), Jos University Teaching Hospital, (JUTH), Jos.