Determined to solve emerging health challenges and deliver quality healthcare to Nigerians, the Federal Government has inaugurated the Project Delivery Committee and the Steering Committee for the Development of Abuja Medical City through a Public Private Partnership (PPP).

Health Minister, Prof.C.O.Onyebuchi Chukwu who inaugurated the two Committees in Abuja Monday said that the initiative was the stride in the nation’s health sector that will augment government’s current effort at reversing the negative trend of medical tourism.

He explained that as part of the Federal Government’s Transformation Agenda, the Federal Ministry of Health initiated the drive to unlock the market potential of the Health Sector by creating enabling environment for the private sector to grow and effectively harness the resources within its reach to leverage on the development of the health sector.

He said that the concept of the Abuja Medical City was due to the inefficiency in the resource management and service delivery and dwindling financial resources adding that it is the responsibility of government to provide the necessary infrastructure for efficient and effective healthcare delivery to the population through both public and private sector initiatives.

Prof.Chukwu further explained that the proposed Abuja medical city through Private Public Participation (PPP) arrangement is conceived as a medical mall to provide a one-stop platform for local and Diaspora health Professionals to provide critical high quality and world class specialists services to Nigerians.

He added that this PPP will come in the form of structured favourable government service level agreements to lease Specialists clinics, Outpatients Clinics, Ambulatory and emergency case, Diagnostic centres and hospital space to private Health Sector and Diaspora groups in a coordinated schedule.

He also said that the Medical City will also be linked to other related tourism and support services to maximize the health and economic value chain around the city.

It is expected that the establishment of the world class medical city will not only satisfy the yearnings of Nigerians for such services but also enhance Nigeria’s GDP through inward flow of medical tourism to Nigeria’s advantage.

He said that it was the pursuit of this new thinking that the two Committees-Steering Committee to drive the process and the Project Delivery Committee were constituted.

He said that the Federal Ministry of Health has been in collaboration with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Federal Ministry of Tourism and Culture and National Orientation (FMTCNO) and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to bring this proposed Abuja Medical City to reality.

While assuring the two Committees of government’s support towards successful conduct of the assignment, he urged all members of the two Committees to work assiduously to ensure that the project comes to fruition within the stipulated time.

The Permanent Secretary, Mr.Linus Awute is the chairman of the Project Delivery Committee while the Minister of Health, Prof.C.O.Onyebuchi Chukwu is the Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Development of Abuja Medical Mall/City.

In another development, the Minister also briefed the Press on the update on Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria.

He said that as of 25th August 2014, a total number of confirmed cases including the index case is 13 noting that the 14th case initially announced as positive turned out to be a false positive.

The total number of deaths due to EVD including the index case stands at 5 and the total number of EVD patients treated and discharged was 5.

The number of EVD patients currently under treatment in the isolation ward is 3 and one of them is currently under imminent discharge after necessary protocols. He added.