The management of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) has described its cancer centre as one of the best in Nigeria, assuring that the facility is 100 per cent operational.
The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Idia Ize-Iyamu, stated this on Monday, August 31, 2026, during the commissioning and presentation of a state-of-the-art ambulance donated to the hospital by the Federal Government by Dennis Idahosa, the deputy governor of Edo State.
Iyamu said the centre is the number one cancer treatment facility in the South-South region and is equipped with modern technology.
“We have Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machine, 16-slice CT where we simulate the patient’s lesion before targeted treatment is done using radiotherapy. That machine is the latest in technology in the world.
“UBTH was one of only three hospitals in the country that benefited from the Federal Government’s cancer centre initiative, commending the government for citing the facility at the hospital.
“The centre was open to all Nigerians, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or economic status.
“The centre is not locked. It is a functional centre. Patients are being seen and patients are receiving care.
“The Cancer Health Fund, also approved by the Honourable Minister of Health and Social Welfare through the office of President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under his Renewed Hope Agenda on Health, is making cancer care affordable for the poor,” she said.
The CMD described UBTH as a federal specialist hospital and the biggest teaching hospital in the South-South region, noting that it receives patients from different parts of the country.
“We see cases that come from all parts of the country, from the North, South, West and East. We are like the confluence point.
“So, we see a lot of trauma cases, accidents and other critical cases. By law, we do not turn anybody away. We treat you whether you have money or you don’t have money. Our mandate is to care first.
“So, if you are poor, you can receive radiotherapy at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, courtesy of this administration.
“I want to thank the Federal Government for citing the centre at UBTH to receive the latest technology in cancer care in the world,” she added.
Iyamu, however, dismissed allegations that the hospital charges cancer patients for treatment, insisting that the treatment is funded by the Federal Government.
“So, when people say we ask for money, that is not true because we are a federal hospital. When they come to us, immediately we begin to manage them, and the funding and equipment come from the Federal Government.
“The equipment also comes from legislation that always passes the bill like the Deputy Governor, who have looked at healthcare and decided that our people deserve the best,” she stated.
Speaking on the newly commissioned ambulance, the UBTH CMD described it as a “walk-in theatre” equipped with modern medical facilities.
She explained that the ambulance would enhance emergency medical services and improve the hospital’s capacity to respond to critical healthcare needs.
According to her, the vehicle would also assist in evacuating trauma victims from accident scenes and other emergency locations to facilities where they could receive appropriate care.
She added that several medical interventions, particularly emergency procedures, could be carried out inside the ambulance.
Iyamu thanked Dennis Idahosa , Edo State Deputy Governor, for facilitating the ambulance during his tenure as a lawmaker representing Ovia Federal Constituency at the National Assembly.
Speaking while presenting the keys of the ambulance to the management of UBTH, Idahosa commended the Federal Government for providing the facility.
Idahosa noted that he attracted the project to the hospital while serving as a member of the House of Representatives representing Ovia Federal Constituency.
He said the delay in the implementation of the budget had necessitated the non-delivery of the ambulance until now.
According to him, the facility is part of the government’s efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the country.
