Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre and Specialist Hospital in Lagos has expressed its commitment to reduce medical tourism and brain drain in Nigeria through its advanced radiology and radiopharmacy equipment, which will accelerate diagnostic care for cancer.
Speaking at a media parley on Tuesday, the Chief Executive Officer, Dr Modupe Elebute-Odunsi, noted that with clinically trained members of the founding team all qualified from medical colleges in Nigeria and completed postgraduate training specialized in oncology and haematology overseas, the hospital was ready to reduce the rate that Nigerian sought medical help abroad.
She said, “The exceptional team of highly skilled personnel include consultant medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons, family physicians, radiation therapists, nurses, pharmacists, imaging technicians, laboratory scientists, nutritionists, counsellors, and healthcare administrations, working together to treat and care for patients.”
“There is a lot of exciting development happenings in the healthcare industry in Nigeria. Having had some discussion with people in the finance world (including my husband, the chairman of the Board of director, Marcelle Ruth, Mr Bolaji Odunsi, and after research, we discovered that there was a gap in radiation therapy in West Africa,” the medical expert added.
She noted that the centre was specialised in the three modalities involved in the treatment of cancer.
“The first is surgery, the second is chemotherapy, and then radiation therapy which will shine x-rays around the cancerous cells to kill them,” she informed journalists yesterday in Lagos.
However, Dr Elebute-Odunsi noted that there was a gap in the radiation therapy in the country and with the gap in Nigeria; it was hoping to do all it could do to reduce Nigerians seeking treatment in other countries like India and the United Kingdom.
She stated that, “Patients who previously would have had to travel abroad to receive world-class treatment are now able to get the critical care they need here at home. Early detection is vital to the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.”
The CEO disclosed further that apart from offering the treatment, the hospital was also dedicated to ensuring that patients did follow-up medical care, which will help to reduce late discovery of cancer, adding that this would further be strengthened by data collection.
Dr Elebute-Odunsi noted that with the appropriate data collection, necessary information like family history would help not only in the prevention but the early detection of the diseases.
She added that with its partners, including leading healthcare insurance providers in Nigeria including BUPA, Allianz, AXA Mansard, AETNA, CIGNA and UnitedHealth Group, it was helping to actualise its goal.
Adding his input, one of the partners of the hospital, General Electric, represented by Mr Eyong Ebai, General Manager of GE Healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa, said “We are proud to continue supporting the development of Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure.”
“Our partnership with the Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre and Specialist Hospital is a true landmark as it underlines the role that the private sector can play in delivering world-class healthcare delivery in the country.
“These new solutions are designed to expand capacity and improve quality for diagnosis and treatment at MRCC and help meet the needs of the community within the country and region,” Mr Ebai said.
Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre and Specialist Hospital provides world-class and one-stop services for the comprehensive treatment of cancer and other specialist conditions.
At the purpose-built premises on Victoria Island, Lagos, the team offers the highest standards of care with the latest treatments and technology, in comfortable surroundings designed to promote healing.
The hospital is named in honour of the co-founders’ mother/mother-in-law, Mrs Marcelle Ruth Odunsi (1931-1998), previously Vice-Principal, Igbobi College, Lagos and founding principal of Government College, Agege, Lagos.
