.as Minister of Education Hails Initiative as Giant Breakthrough, Promises Full TETFund Sponsorship for Robotic Academy
The Chief Medical Director of UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Dr. Babatunde Afolabi, joined other eminent stakeholders and top think-tanks in the health sector at the grand opening of Robotic Surgery services at the Redeemer's Health Village, Lagos.
The epoch-making event which attracted the crème de la crème of the Medical Professionals both within and outside Nigeria signals a revolutionary shift in advanced surgical care and positions Nigeria on the global map of robotic-assisted medicine.
Delivering his keynote address, the Honourable Minister of Education, Hon.. Tunji Alausa, congratulated the Board and Management of Redeemer's Health Village and its technical partners for achieving what he described as a "giant, landmark breakthrough for Nigeria and Africa at large."
Hon. Alausa, who was visibly elated by the feat stated that the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to strengthening the nexus between health and education through sustained investment and innovation.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has invested trillions of Naira into health education, infrastructure and manpower development to reposition the country as a hub for medical excellence and to stem medical tourism.
In a major announcement that drew a loud ovation, the Minister assured that the Federal Government will enlist the newly established Robotic Academy into the full Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) sponsorship programme to train more Nigerian doctors, nurses and biomedical experts in robotic technology.
Earlier, the Medical Director of Redeemer's Health Village, Dr. Adedamola Dada, in his welcome address, said the hospital is fully prepared to commence procedures across key specialties including General Surgery, Urology, Gynaecology, Bariatric and Colorectal surgeries. He explained that robotic surgery offers patients smaller incisions, minimal blood loss, faster recovery and better clinical outcomes.
Speaking on the motivation behind the initiative, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Robomed, Prof. Obi Ekwenna, said the project was borne out of a passion to give back to the society and bridge the gap in access to world-class surgical care.
Prof. Ekwenna, a Nigerian-born surgeon based in the United States, noted that with the facility now in Nigeria, Nigerians who could not afford to travel abroad for complex surgeries can now have them done at home with the same global standard.
"Robotic surgery is reliable, fast, precise and painless. It is the future of surgery, and we are happy that future is now here in Nigeria," Prof. Ekwenna said.
In their separate goodwill messages, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State and the Vice Chancellor of Redeemer's University, Prof. Shedrack Akindele, commended the initiative, describing it as a bold step towards medical innovation, capacity building and sustainable healthcare development.
Other stakeholders who spoke at the event lauded the partnership model and called for more private sector-driven innovation in the health sector.
The high-profile event was attended by the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Head, National Post Graduate Medical College, heads of Federal and State health institutions, Chief Medical Directors of Teaching Hospitals, representatives of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), members of the diaspora medical community, and captains of industry.
During his interaction with the Head, Corporate Affairs Department, Abimbola Idowu, Dr. Afolabi who was recognized as one of the leading minds in Health leadership present described the development as "highly commendable and worthy of emulation," adding that UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital will continue to explore strategic partnerships that advance patient care and medical education.
