The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd. ), will inaugurate the Presidential/VIP Wing of State House Medical Centre in Abuja on Friday, May 19, just three days after returning from a medical stay in London, the United Kingdom.
“Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, President Buhari, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Tijjani Umar, will embark on a guided tour of the hospital,” said Abiodun Oladunjoye, the State House Director of Information.
According to a statement titled ‘President Buhari to Inaugurate Presidential/VIP Wing Of State House Medical Centre on Friday,’ those invited to the function are anticipated to be seated by 9:00 a.m.
According to reports, the legacy project, which is located within the grounds of the Presidential Villa, was inaugurated on November 1, 2021, by the President’s Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.
The hospital, which acts as a specialized Intensive Care Centre and spans a total floor area of 2,485 square metres on a suspended floor with a basement, will care for the President, Vice President, their immediate families, and VIPs.
“The Presidential/VIP Wing will house several specialized departments that will be staffed by a team of medical professionals, including five consultation rooms dedicated to various specialties such as respiratory, cardiology, ophthalmology, ENT, and general consultation.”
“The hospital also has a specialized X-ray suite with a digital X-ray machine, as well as a diagnostic suite with MRI, CT scan, and endoscopy capabilities.”
“Patients and visitors can enjoy access to a Healing Garden, designed to foster healing, relaxation, and enhancement of overall well-being,” the State House says.
The VIP Wing, which cost N21 billion in total, also has a Catheterisation Laboratory, two operating rooms for routine surgeries, and unique procedures such as organ transplants.
On Saturday, May 13, it was reported that the dispensary at the State House’s administrative area had been relocated to the VIP wing of the State House Medical Centre.
Among the items evacuated were hospital beds, surgical suction devices, oxygen cylinders, tiny theatre light stands, pedal bins, dressing bowls, filing cabinets, and blood collection tubes.
An anonymous medical staff member told our correspondent that the old equipment would be transported to the former State House Medical Centre in Asokoro because it would no longer be needed at the VIP sector.
“We’re moving them to the old State House Medical Centre outside,” the officer explained.
The Presidential/VIP Wing will coexist with the State House Medical Centre, which is located in Asokoro, Abuja, according to the State House Management.