Health is wealth goes the popular saying. It is also an incontestable fact that the wealth of any society is determined by its healthy workforce. An environment plagued either by sick or unhealthy workforce will not be able to attain its desired height of development.

To a large extent, all the infrastructural provisions and developmental programmes of any serious government will amount to nought if such government does not consider the healthcare needs of its people, especially the youth that would contribute their energy to development goals.

The above reasons, among others, may have informed the conception of an idea by the immediate past government of Dr. Bukola Saraki in Kwara State to start the construction of an Advanced Medical Diagnostic Centre, which was completed by the administration of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed with the sole aim of taking good care of the health matters of the citizens.

The diagnostic centre complex, located in Ilorin, the state capital, comprises of imaging and laboratory wings with other state of the art medical equipment capable of serving both residents and non-residents of the state.

These medical equipment include 3D Magnetic Resonance Image Module, ultrasound scan, ECG, mammography, X-ray machine, fluoroscopy, 16-slides and 64-slide CT-scan machine, all complete with a dedicated UPS.

The laboratory wing of the centre is also complemented with equipment such as haematology analyser, automated coagulation analyser etc in the Haematology Laboratory, and COBAS 4000 Analyser series used for serum chemistry and immunoassay in the Immunology Laboratory.

Also in the Microbiology Laboratory is automated blood culture system, modified Fuchs Rosenthal Counting Chamber, Class 1 Biological System and PCR, making some medical experts to rank it among the best available in the world.

According to commissioner for Health in the state, Alhaji Kayode Abdul-Issa, the importance of diagnosis in medicine cannot be over emphasised because every successful treatment of any ailment begins with proper and accurate diagnosis, adding that the reason formed the basis for establishing the diagnostic centre.

The commissioner, who said the project is to provide excellent environment for world class medical diagnostic services for residents of Kwara State and beyond Nigeria, added that it is also meant to contribute to national drive of reducing or stopping the outflow of Nigerians and national resources by people seeking such diagnostic services abroad.

Alhaji Issa also said that the centre is capable of attracting patients and patronage from people abroad, particularly from neighbouring African countries, adding that it would promote health tourism in the state and improve Internally Generated Revenue.

Speaking on the occasion of the commissioning of the Advanced Medical Diagnostic Centre on Friday, December 14, 2012, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State said, indeed, the day marked another milestone in the history of the state and certainly that of Nigeria's health sector.

"The opening of this centre is part of the fulfillment of this administration's commitment to providing qualitative health care to the people of this state in particular and the nation in general.

"It may interest people to note that this centre is a product of our long and persistent quest for excellence in all aspects of medical diagnosis. This is based on our recognition that proper diagnosis is a necessary precondition for effective medical treatment. This centre, therefore, is critical to our policy thrust on health with its twin focus on quality and access.

The governor also said that with the imminent completion of the major rehabilitation of Ilorin, Offa, Omu-Aran, Share and Kaiama hospitals, the centre would further establish his administration's health care delivery system as one of the most modern in the country.

"Additionally, it is our hope that this opening of this centre will help reverse the current trend whereby Nigerians spend millions of dollars on health tourism to countries such as India, Egypt and South Africa.

"In the process, we hope to generate considerable internal revenue by providing advanced medical diagnosis at competitive rates here in Kwara State. Furthermore, this centre will be run through a Public-Private-Partnership with a highly reputable firm, "MedEquip Company Nigeria Limited" which has handled similar projects in many parts of the country and based on our deliberate policy to locate its management outside the civil service", he said.

Governor Ahmed also used the occasion to pay tribute to his predecessor and political leader in the state, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, CON, for the vision in conceptualising what had turned out to be a sophisticated edifice of international standard, saying the state was indeed grateful to him.

In his remarks at the occasion, the vice-president, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, said one of the most valuable assets in the world is good health, saying that the centre would solve healthcare delivery challenge of Nigerians and ensure access of citizenry to proper diagnosis of their ailments.

The vice-president, who said that effective functioning of the medical centre could build people's confidence and patronage, added that its location between the south western and the northern parts of the country put it at vantage point for patronage.

He also said that the newly commissioned Advanced Medical Diagnostic Centre, Ilorin is capable of saving Nigeria from capital flight on medical tourism and treatment in neighbouring West African and other foreign countries.

Vice-president Sambo, who commended the courage of the state government in the conception and execution of the project, described the centre as one of the best in Africa.

The VP, who also said that outflow of resources from the country would be a thing of the past with effective functioning of the centre, added that it would also boost people's confidence and patronage.