The Israeli government on Friday, pledged to deepen collaboration with Nigeria in advancing healthcare services in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, disclosed this in Abuja, against the backdrop of the Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary symposium.
The symposium, with the theme; “Bridging the gap in Hepato-pancreatic-biliary surgery in Nigeria: challenges and strategies, was organised by the Israeli embassy in collaboration with the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Health and the Federal Medical Centre, FMC.
Freeman, who is also the Permanent Representative of Israel to ECOWAS, said the initiative was borne out of the need to boost the health sector, particularly in tackling pancreas issues.
“When President Tinubu declared the Renewed Hope Agenda and health was a critical area, we met Dr Salma Anas, Special Adviser to the President on Health, to see what Israel can do.
“To work with some of our expertise, particularly in the pancreatic area, therefore we brought two leading surgeons from Israel for a number of days; they carried out four complex Pancreas and Liver surgeries,” he said.
He expressed the hope that partnership between the two countries would also focus on malaria treatment and eye-care services and expand capacity building.
Also speaking, Anas described partnership with the embassy as a right step in tackling Liver and Pancreas issues that are common in the country.
She explained that when a pancreatic problem becomes turmoil and then cancer, such could be difficult to deal with, adding that there was a need for an early detection to avoid health complications.
Medical Director of FMC, Prof Saad Ahmed, expressed appreciation to the Israeli embassy and Anas for the choice of the centre, to be suitable in advancing healthcare services in Nigeria.
