Abuja, July 22, 2015 (NAN)

The Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Mr Aminu Diko has pledged the Commission’s commitment to improving medical services in the country through Public Private Partnership.

Diko said this on Wednesday in Abuja during an oversight visit to Garki Hospital Abuja, which is currently managed through a PPP concessionary agreement by Nisa Premier Hospital.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Garki Hospital Abuja is owned by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). It was closed in 2001 for full renovation.

In March 2007, a fifteen years concession agreement for the management and operation of the new Garki Hospital Abuja was signed between FCTA and Nisa Premier Hospital, after a competitive bidding process.

“We must have top notch hospitals in Nigeria. We currently lose money when people travel all the way to India, Egypt, U.S and U.k for treatment. It is important for us to stop this by bringing advanced medical technologies into the country and that is what ICRC is geared to achieve.   In achieving this, we represent both the private and public sector, even though we are a federal government agency. Because if we are only a public sector entity, then the private sector will not have confidence that they will be protected,’’ he said.

Diko said that the visit was to ensure efficient implementation of concession agreements between Nisa Premier and FCTA and to also monitor strict compliance with the agreement signed between the two parties. He encouraged the Concessionaires to write a business proposal on how they can further expand the Garki hospital.

Meanwhile the Group Medical Adviser, Garki Hospital Abuja, Dr. Ibrahim Wada said that Nisa Premier had already reached the Zenith of the agreement with FCTA.

“We agreed to provide accessible and affordable quality care, to build human capacity, to pay a concession fee of N20 million yearly and profit sharing, which we have been doing … It will interest you to know that Garki hospital have been upgraded to perform high profile surgeries and delicate procedures In-virtro Fertilization…So far we have performed twenty seven Open Heart Surgeries, all successful, seven kidney transplants and have produced 104 test tube babies…Also we have employed 600 staff and Garki hospital is steadily becoming a world class paperless hospital. This will make the hospital more efficient in rendering quality service,’’ he said.

Wada also said that as Concessionaires, they were going an extra mile to introduce housemanship for young doctors, pharmacists and laboratory internship and also intensive care training for nurses.

NAN reports that after the presentation, the management of the Garki Hospital, led the ICRC team to inspect the renovated facility and modern equipment that had been installed since the concessioning of the hospital.