Citing the need to curb medical tourism, health sector stakeholders have called for a stronger healthcare ecosystem to support the adoption of advanced surgical technologies in Nigeria.
The stakeholders noted that robotic-assisted surgery could improve surgical precision, reduce blood loss, and shorten recovery time for patients undergoing complex procedures.
They, however, stressed that sustaining such technology would require skilled personnel, continuous training, reliable infrastructure, and strong collaboration among healthcare institutions, government, and the private sector.
The stakeholders made the call when the Redeemer’s Health Village unveiled robotic surgery services in partnership with RoboMed Global Inc., USA, to advance healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
The partnership also combines robotic surgery services with a training academy to equip Nigerian professionals with the skills to perform and support advanced procedures.
Redeemer’s Health Village is a faith-based 300-bed multispecialty hospital established by the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
While commending RCCG leadership at the launch, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Salako, said the addition of robotic surgery would advance healthcare services being provided by RHV.
“The vision of robotic surgery that is being translated into reality today will no doubt help to save lives and add value to the country,” he said.
According to him, it aligns very strongly with at least two of the four pillars of our health transformation agenda, which are to improve health outcomes and unlock the healthcare value chain.
“It also resonates very strongly with our vision to reverse the dominant direction of medical tourism from outbound to inbound and save the country from scarce foreign exchange,” he said.
Salako said the services introduced by RHV, which include a structured training program for surgeons in the country, would lead to appropriate certification to practice robotic surgery in a safe and controlled manner in Nigeria.
“This is a commendable pathway to update the clinical skills of our surgeons for new medical technology,” he said.
He urged Nigerians, particularly players in the healthcare value chain, to join hands in building “a fully functional health system, anchored on equity, affordability, and able to meet the health needs of any Nigerian at any point in time”.
Also speaking, a former Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, while commending RHV for the giant leap, said robotic-assisted surgery represents another significant milestone in that journey of healthcare innovation.
He said to curb brain drain, the collective goal should be to ensure that an increasing number of advanced surgical procedures can be performed safely and successfully in Nigeria.
Mamora said that while the addition of robotic machines is commendable, there was a need to build an ecosystem around it for its optimal adoption.
“Let us also recognise that robotic surgery is not simply about purchasing sophisticated equipment. Buying a robot is the easy part. Building an ecosystem is the real challenge.
“Such an ecosystem requires well-trained surgeons, anaesthetists, theatre nurses, biomedical engineers, information technology specialists, maintenance support, quality assurance systems, clinical governance, sustainable financing, and continuous professional development.
“It also requires partnerships. No single institution can achieve this alone. Government cannot do it alone. Neither can the private sector. Faith-based institutions cannot do it alone. Success will depend upon collaboration built on trust, shared purpose, and long-term commitment,” he said.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of RHV, Dr Adedamola Dada, said the facility invested $4 million into the robotic services, adding that one of the main aims was to create pathways for training robotic surgeons in Nigeria.
According to him, the RHV Robotic Academy would commence on October 22, with a five-stage training pathway comprising didactic lectures, dry laboratory training, wet laboratory training involving cadaver and animal models, human training, examination and credentialing.
“We do not want a situation where we bring people from abroad. We want to create a pipeline of Human Resources. Training Nigerian professionals will enable the country to conduct surgeries locally, monitor patients, and provide follow-up care.
“We want to create a pipeline so that we can then have these robotic surgeons all over the country. This is where the rest of the world is going, and as a country we cannot afford to take the backstage,” he said.
The RHV CEO said the robotic services at the facility would be provided at about five per cent of the cost of similar procedures in the U.S. and Europe.
“We’re going to be doing this surgery at maybe about 5% of the cost. We are targeting the entire West African sub-region,” he said.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of RoboMed Global, Prof. Obi Davies-Ekwenna, said partnering with RHV was to ensure that patients in need of surgery would no longer have to travel abroad for treatment.
According to him, the organisation seeks to expand access to world-class surgical services by establishing sustainable robotic surgery programmes, training local surgeons and improving healthcare systems across West Africa.
The RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, said the robotic surgery initiative would help train Nigerian surgeons, support research and reduce the need for Nigerians to travel abroad for advanced medical procedures.
Represented by the First National Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Joseph Olayemi, Adeboye said that by combining surgeons’ expertise with robotic precision and fear of God, many lives would be saved.
“We believe that knowledge, science and technology, when responsibly and compassionately deployed with the fear of God, are powerful instruments for preserving life and alleviating human suffering,” Olayemi said.
