Twelve medical doctors from the United States and the United Kingdom have launched Pinnacle Consultant Hospital and Clinics Limited in Ojoto, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The new multi-million-naira hospital aims to offer evidence-based medical care, end poor healthcare practices, and raise medical standards in Anambra, the Southeast, and Nigeria as a whole.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, the founders said the hospital would prioritize patient-centred care and meet international standards.
They expressed hope that the facility would help curb medical tourism and reduce preventable deaths caused by poor healthcare services.
Professor Okonkwo Fidin, President of the Board of Directors, emphasized that many Nigerians die daily from treatable illnesses due to government neglect.
Sharing personal experiences, he recalled losing his father because of a wrong medical decision made by a professor in Nnewi.
He also cited another case where a friend’s father died from poor treatment after a fracture, stressing that such stories are common and must change.
Prof. Ndubueze highlighted that 77% of black physicians in the US are Nigerians, questioning why Nigerians excel abroad but suffer poor healthcare at home.
He stated that Pinnacle Hospital is determined to change this narrative, ensuring that patients are not turned away due to absent doctors or given fake medications.
He urged the government to do more to improve healthcare, like offering free pregnancy and childbirth services, and stated that Pinnacle Hospital would work with the government, not compete with it, and promised that the hospital would bring the same evidence-based medical practices seen in the US and UK.
Dr. Ambrose Okonkwo, a director of the hospital and a family physician based in North Carolina, explained that the vision was to recreate the quality of healthcare available overseas here at home.
He said the project was driven by a desire to stop preventable deaths caused by poor healthcare services in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the traditional ruler of Ojoto, His Royal Highness Igwe Gerald Obunadike Mbamalu, thanked the doctors for bringing the hospital to his community.
He assured them of the community’s full support and security, noting that the facility would save lives, reduce the burden of healthcare costs, and curb the need for medical tourism.
He added that the hospital would offer specialist care across all medical fields to meet the needs of everyone.
