By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

The African Medical Centre of Excellence,AMCE, being established in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital city, will become functional by June,2025, the Chief Executive Officer of AMCE, Mr. Brian Deaver,has said.

Deaver, speaking to reporters during a facility tour of the $1 billion world-class, state-of-the-art medical facilities, expressed optimism that the medical centre presently in the final stages of construction will be completed in April 2025.

The facility being established by Afreximbank in partnership with King’s College Hospital, London, is expected to advance West Africa’s healthcare with modern cyclotron equipment.

The development is expected to drastically reduce medical tourism, as it would give Nigerians and citizens from other West African nations the opportunity to access world-class treatment within their own communities.

According to Deaver,AMCE would transform the healthcare delivery in West Africa, especially in the diagnosis and treatment of complex diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular conditions, and neurological disorders, with the development of its state-of-the-art cyclotron facility.

“The development of the AMCE’sCyclotron facility at our Abuja medical centre represents a monumental leap forward in medical advancement and access across the continent.

“This facility will not only elevate our diagnostic capabilities but also democratise access to cutting-edge treatment options that have historically been out of reach for most people in Africa. Enhancing the accuracy and speed of disease detection and treatment will play a vital role in saving lives and improving patient outcomes,” he said.

The AMCE boss said that by producing radiopharmaceuticals in-house, the health institution can ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care, a crucial step in the hospital’s mission to deliver a world-class, accessible, and affordable healthcare across the continent.

The AMCE Cyclotron has the capacity to supply radioisotopes to other PET CT facilities in the sub-region. It has modern medicine facility with advanced medical imaging technology essential for diagnosing and treating diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and neurological disorders.

Cyclotron is a crucial component of AMCE, designed to facilitate advanced medical imaging technology essential for diagnosing and treating complex diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disorders.

Deaver explained that the first stage of the hospital project will require as much as $237 million with focus on four key areas of intervention-cancer, sickle cell, cardiovascular, hematology treatment and general medical and surgical services.

“This equipment will enable the production of radiopharmaceuticals, which are vital for PET-CT scans and other nuclear medicine procedures, offering unparalleled precision in disease detection and treatment planning,”‘ he said.

On her part, the Chief Medical Director of AMCE, Dr. Aisha Umar, said everything was being put in place to ensure excellent service delivery on a sustainable basis.

Dr. Umar, explained that AMCE is one of five projects in West Africa, targeting 500 bed capacity.

“This is one of five projects in West Africa, we will cover West Africa, we have the capacity, this is just phase one. We are aiming to get to 500 beds, this is going to be 170 beds when we start but in three years, we would build the second 330 beds, which would make it complete,”she said.