President Bola Tinubu has commissioned an ultra-modern Cancer Centre at the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences at Uburu, Ebonyi State, reinforcing his administration’s commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria.
Describing the facility as one of the best in the country, Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Works and former governor of Ebonyi, Chief David Umahi, pledged his administration’s continued support for the university.
He also announced the donation of a 2,000-kilowatt regular power supply to the institution, emphasizing that uninterrupted electricity is essential for its operations.
“This institution without regular power is no institution. We will ensure that more land is acquired to accommodate its expansion,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor of DUFUHS, Prof. Jesse Uneke, expressed gratitude to the president for prioritizing infrastructure development in the university. He described the cancer centre as a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to research, training, and patient care, with a multi-disciplinary team of experts focused on tackling cancer-related challenges.
Uneke cited a 2022 World Health Organization, WHO, Global Cancer Observatory report, which recorded 127,763 new cancer cases in Nigeria, with 62.4% affecting women. The report also indicated that cancer-related deaths in the country stood at 79,542.
The VC revealed that the newly inaugurated centre had already treated 207 cancer patients, with breast cancer, cervical cancer, and head and neck cancers being the most common cases. He reaffirmed the university’s commitment to advancing cancer treatment and research to reduce the burden of the disease in Nigeria.
The inauguration of the facility aligns with the federal government’s broader vision of strengthening Nigeria’s medical and health sciences sector to curb medical tourism and improve healthcare accessibility.
NAN
