Duchess International Hospital, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, has emerged as the Private Tertiary Healthcare Facility of the Year 2024 at the Nigeria Healthcare Excellence Awards (NHEA).
The recognition, announced at the 10th anniversary of the NHEA on June 21, followed a keenly contested nationwide voting process that featured several leading Nigerian hospitals.
Established in 2014 by Global Projects and Resources in partnership with the Anadach Group, the NHEA celebrates institutions and individuals who have significantly advanced healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos on July 9, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Adetokunbo Shitta-Bey, described the award as a milestone achievement for the three-year-old facility.
He recalled that Duchess Hospital commenced operations in October 2021 with a vision to become “Africa’s favourite hospital” and a mission to reverse medical tourism by delivering world-class care locally.
According to him, the hospital’s priorities include expanding access to affordable quality care while serving as a hub for inbound medical tourism and a referral centre for complex cases nationwide and abroad.
The 100-bed multi-specialist facility houses 36 consulting rooms, five operating theatres, 22 critical care beds, 21 dedicated cardiac beds and eight dialysis beds. In the last three years, Duchess has recorded landmark surgeries including a 12-hour breast reconstruction, advanced orthopaedic procedures, complex brain and spine operations, and a thriving open-heart surgery programme.
Despite these achievements, Dr. Shitta-Bey stressed that the hospital has retained its ₦5,000 patient registration fee since inception, in line with its mission to keep care affordable.
Chairman of Duchess International Hospital and the Reddington Hospital Group, Dr. Adeyemi Onabowale, hailed the recognition as proof of the hospital’s impact in reducing medical tourism and transforming lives despite operating challenges such as inflation, high electricity costs and weak consumer purchasing power.
He praised the hospital’s staff and management for their dedication and urged them to remain committed to putting patients first.
