By Stanley Onyekwere
In a bid to boost access to efficient healthcare, the the Abuja Property Development Company (APDC) said it intends to build state-of-the-art hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to reduce the number of Nigerians travelling outside the country for medical tourism.
In particular, APDC said he it’s also collaborating with the Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS) to develop four district hospitals to be located at Wuye, Lokongoma, Galadima and Lugbe districts, to cater for the health need of FCT residents.
Making this disclosure during an interaction with some newsmen in Abuja, Managing Director of the company, Lawal Aliyu Magaji, added that if those hospitals could be provided, it will definitely stem the current tide of medical tourism.
Magaji also disclosed that the APDC is already working with some groups to proffer solutions to the high cost of buildings, by providing locally made building materials.
He added that it’s also getting some foreign building materials companies to establish and produce the materials locally, noting that this would go a long way in supporting the government’s effort at bringing down the cost of the houses.
He attributed the high cost of buildings in the nation’s capital to the rising cost of building materials, especially the cost of finishing materials, which have to be imported, coupled with the widening exchange rate between the naira and the dollar at the international market.
According to him, “We also have the intention of doing social housing, so that the costs of these houses are brought down. We are also doing research to build houses for no income.
“It is something we have to put our thinking caps to provide, because they are also Nigerians. We are working to ensure that we take care of all Nigerians, irrespective of their status in order to provide houses for them.”
