President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the redesignation of the State House Clinic to a medical centre.

The permanent secretary of the State House, Tijjani Umar, disclosed this after a pre-commissioning inspection of the new presidential wing (VIP) of the State House Medical Centre by secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.

Mr Mustapha was accompanied by the finance minister, Zainab Ahmed and her deputy, Clem Agba.

“In March 2019, the President had given approval that the State House Medical Centre, Asokoro, which was facing challenges with funding, deterioration of infrastructure and equipment, be scaled down to a clinic until the challenges were addressed,” said Mr Umar. “Now with improvement in the problem areas and the addition of the new VIP wing with state-of-the-art facilities, we can no longer operate as a clinic. It is now to operate as State House Medical Centre.”

According to him, all is set for the inauguration of the facility by the president, including the calibration, testing of equipment and training of medical personnel.

Mr Mustapha told State House correspondents that the new VIP wing is ”money well spent.”

The groundbreaking ceremony at the VIP wing was performed by the president’s chief of staff, Ibrahim Gambari, on November 1, 2021.

The VIP wing, a specialised and intensive care centre dedicated for the exclusive use of the president, vice-president and other VIPs, spans over 2,485m2 floor area on a suspended floor with a basement.

(NAN)