Imo State is set to commence robotic-assisted surgery in Owerri as the government expands access to advanced specialist healthcare.
The first procedure is scheduled for Friday at the Imo Robotics and Oncology Centre (IROC), located within the reconstructed Imo Specialist Hospital in Umuguma, Owerri West Local Government Area.
Governor Hope Uzodimma announced the development while addressing journalists at the Government House in Owerri, describing it as a major milestone in the state’s healthcare development.
According to the governor, the robotic surgical system has been installed and the theatre prepared for clinical use. The initiative is being supported by specialist expertise and knowledge transfer to local medical professionals.
The first procedure will be led by Professor Kingsley Ekwueme, a United Kingdom-based Consultant Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgeon, alongside other medical professionals.
Uzodimma said the partnership would expose local healthcare workers to advanced surgical techniques while enabling the state to build specialist capacity.
Robotic-assisted surgery can give surgeons greater precision and control in appropriate procedures. It can also support minimally invasive surgery, which may reduce blood loss and shorten recovery time for some patients.
The governor said the development was particularly important for residents who previously had to travel to Lagos or outside Nigeria for complex specialist treatment.
He said the reconstructed Imo Specialist Hospital now includes an accident and emergency section, intensive care and neonatal intensive care facilities, dedicated theatres, medical oxygen infrastructure, diagnostic services, maternity and paediatric facilities, physiotherapy, mental health services and specialist wards.
The IROC is also being developed alongside oncology services, with the cancer facility expected to strengthen cancer diagnosis and treatment in the state.
Uzodimma disclosed that the hospital was being equipped with MRI, CT scan, mammography and X-ray services to provide an integrated specialist healthcare environment covering diagnosis, treatment, surgery and follow-up care.
The facility is also expected to have an internal medical oxygen production and distribution system, while a hybrid power solution will support its operations.
On affordability, the governor said the government was working through the Imo State Health Insurance Scheme to help residents access quality healthcare without being overwhelmed by treatment costs.
Uzodimma said the broader objective was to reduce the financial, logistical and emotional burden faced by patients who travel outside the state for specialised medical care.
He stressed that the launch of robotic-assisted surgery was only the beginning of a wider healthcare transformation, with the success of the initiative to be measured by patients treated, skills transferred, specialists developed and lives improved.
