Duchess Hospital Celebrates Five Years of Success

Just five years after it welcomed its first patient, one of the goals of Duchess International Hospital in Ikeja is coming true. More Nigerians living abroad are returning home for complex surgeries. This helps them avoid long waiting times overseas and cuts surgery costs by over 50 percent. They also get to be with family and friends during recovery. Many Nigerians are now getting their healthcare needs met at Duchess instead of travelling to places like India, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or the UK for quality healthcare.

At the event in Ikeja, Lagos, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Duchess Hospital, Dr. Olajide Ojo, Chief Operating Officer of the hospital, spoke about the theme of the anniversary: "Five years of delivering world-class healthcare: Transforming medicine through innovation and excellence." He said this theme shows the major milestones the hospital has reached in the past five years. Dr. Ojo noted that the hospital has cared for about 40,000 out-patients every year, delivered 500 babies, and carried out 2,053 surgeries on both children and adults, with about 65 percent being major and complex operations like spinal surgeries.

He mentioned that since 2023, Duchess Hospital has successfully performed 44 open heart surgeries, which includes 20 for children and 24 for adults. Dr. Ojo explained that their partnership with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital through the Duchess Waiting List Initiative has helped patients who face long waiting times get access to heart surgery more quickly. "These milestones tell a strategic story of a hospital committed to advancing specialist medicine while keeping the individual human being at the center of every encounter," Dr. Ojo said. He added that the first five years of Duchess Hospital represents "not just the growth of an institution but the steady building of clinical capability, the strengthening of trust, and the transformation of healthcare, one patient at a time."

Dr. Yemi Onabowale, Chairman of Duchess International Hospital, said the hospital has impacted lives in the last five years through its affordable healthcare programs and community initiatives. He praised the hospital's management and staff for their commitment to quality patient care. This dedication has helped Duchess Hospital win the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award as the best private healthcare facility in Nigeria for 2024 and 2025. "Our future ambition is to expand access to quality healthcare, strengthen specialist services, invest in our people and technology, and ensure that more Nigerians can receive advanced medical treatment at home," Dr. Onabowale said.

Dr. Adekunle Salako, the Minister of State for Health, was one of the special guests at the event. He emphasized the need to tackle the issue of medical professionals leaving Nigeria, commonly known as japa. He called for better working conditions at home by building modern hospitals and providing good pay for medical workers. Dr. Salako praised Duchess Hospital for its advanced facilities and excellent patient care that set it apart from others.

Dr. (Mrs) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, the wife of the Lagos State governor, was also a special guest at the event. She stressed that a strong partnership between the public and private sectors is key to improving healthcare capacity, encouraging innovation, and enhancing service delivery. She was represented by Dr. (Mrs) Folakemi Irewole-Ojo, the Medical Director of the General Hospital in Ebute Metta.

The anniversary lecture was given by Prof. Nicholas Ossei-Gerning, a cardiology professor from Spire Hospital in Cardiff, UK. He talked about managing cardiovascular health and the main risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, stress, depression, anxiety, and lack of social support. Prof. Ossei-Gerning pointed out that erectile dysfunction is a major sign of heart disease and advised men to get regular checks to prevent sudden death from heart failure.

The management of Duchess International Hospital looks forward to the next five years bringing stronger clinical skills, better access to specialist care, more lives changed, greater social impact, and renewed confidence in Nigerian healthcare.