Ibom International Hospital to Offer Robotic Surgery, Kidney, Renal Transplants - Health Commissioner
By Imoh Essien ( Uyo)
Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem John, has assured that the Ibom International Hospital will be ready for commissioning by August 2027, describing the facility as a major step towards positioning the state as a medical tourism destination in Nigeria.
The Commissioner said the hospital, being developed as part of the Ibom Medical City initiative of Governor Umo Eno, would offer highly specialised services ranging from cancer care and renal treatment to kidney transplantation and advanced robotic surgery.
Speaking during an interview, with ARISE STANDARD Team, Dr. John expressed confidence that the project would be completed on schedule, stressing that the state government had already made the necessary investments to ensure its delivery.
“By August next year, come to this office if I am still the Commissioner, but even if I am not, meet me in my house. I am confident that the hospital will be ready because the Governor has done all of the investment he needs to do for it to happen,” he said.
According to him, the hospital is being designed as a multi-specialty facility equipped with robotic catheterisation laboratories, robotic and transplant theatres, among other advanced medical infrastructure.
He explained that the technology would significantly improve the precision of surgical procedures, reducing blood loss, tissue damage and recovery time.
Dr. John noted that robotic surgery was not merely about allowing surgeons to operate remotely from different countries, but primarily about achieving greater surgical precision.
“The idea about robotic surgery is precision. With robotic surgery, because of precision, you are only going to take that part out. What that means is less blood loss, less damage to contiguous structures, blood vessels, muscles and nerves, and quicker recovery,” he explained.
He further disclosed that the hospital would have a renal transplant centre and a comprehensive cancer centre, responding to the growing need for specialised treatment within the state.
According to him, the facility’s cancer treatment infrastructure includes a basement housing a cyclotron, an advanced machine used in the production of radioisotopes for nuclear medicine and cancer treatment.
The Commissioner explained that the decision to locate the radiotherapy-related infrastructure underground was deliberate, given the need to safely contain radiation and protect patients, workers and the environment.
• Medical City, not just a hospital
Dr. John also clarified what he described as a growing misconception about the Ibom Medical City, stressing that it was not synonymous with the Ibom International Hospital.
He explained that the Medical City referred to the larger corridor and expanse encompassing the international hospital and other ancillary medical facilities, including the Ibom Specialist Hospital.
He dismissed speculation that the Ibom Specialist Hospital had been abandoned, pointing to recent government investments in the facility.
According to him, the state government had committed hundreds of millions of naira towards rehabilitating the MRI facility, installing a new CT scan and providing ICU beds and other diagnostic and medical equipment.
“You don’t invest two to three billion naira into a facility that you are planning to abandon,” he said.
He explained that rather than demolishing the existing specialist hospital to accommodate underground structures required for radiological services, government would remodel and upgrade the facility to become part of the wider Ibom Medical City.
• ‘We are not yet satisfied with what we have achieved’
The Commissioner said the ongoing reforms in the state’s health sector had already begun to change public perception of government hospitals, but stressed that the government was not resting on its achievements.
He cited a recent commendation by a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, who reportedly visited the General Hospital Ukanafun and praised its cleanliness, orderliness and improved service environment.
Dr. John said patients were also beginning to experience the impact of government interventions, including situations where indigent patients undergoing procedures such as Caesarean sections were no longer required to pay out-of-pocket.
He, however, said the improvements were only the beginning.
“For them, we have reached Uhuru, but for the Governor and for myself, who understand where we want to go, we are not even happy with where we are. We are striving to continuously improve,” he said.
• Akwa Ibom moves against quackery
The Commissioner also announced plans for a stronger regulatory regime for private healthcare providers, pharmacies and other health establishments as the state intensifies efforts to make Akwa Ibom a reference point for medical tourism.
He said the government would not allow private health practitioners to operate outside professional standards, warning pharmacies against administering injections and intravenous treatments outside their lawful scope of practice.
Dr. John said the proposed health reform laws would strengthen the state’s regulatory powers and provide stiffer sanctions against infractions.
He also warned against the widespread use of the term “auxiliary nurse”, describing it as a misleading label often used for untrained persons presenting themselves as professional nurses.
The Commissioner said some members of the public, including highly educated individuals, were still unaware that the term had no place in recognised professional nursing practice.
He warned that anyone found practising as a nurse without the requisite professional training and qualification would face enforcement action.
According to him, the government’s objective is to ensure that both public and private healthcare facilities operate to the standards required to make Akwa Ibom a genuine medical tourism destination.
