Kelina Hospital is increasingly positioning Nigeria as a destination for advanced urological treatment, helping to reverse the long-standing tide of medical tourism by delivering outcomes comparable to leading centres in Europe and North America.

In 2025 alone, the hospital completed 212 prostate surgeries, the highest annual volume recorded by any single hospital in Nigeria. That achievement was followed in January 2026 by another national milestone: 101 prostate cancer surgeries over two years without a single mortality, an outcome experts say is unprecedented in the country.

Addressing journalists at a media briefing, the Medical Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Celsus Ukelina Undie, said the figures send a powerful message that Nigerians no longer need to leave the country for complex cancer care.

“Two hundred prostate surgeries in one year are worth celebrating. One hundred prostate cancer surgeries in two years with no mortality are also worth celebrating. These outcomes show that world-class care is possible in Nigeria,” Undie said.

He stressed that early detection remains the key to cure, noting that when cancer spreads beyond its original organ, treatment often becomes palliative.

“Early detection allows us to offer cure. Once cancer spreads, treatment becomes more about control than cure,” he explained.

Kelina Hospital now offers all three internationally accepted forms of radical prostatectomy—open, laparoscopic and robotic surgery, placing it among a small group of African centres with that full range of capacity. Undie said robot-assisted surgery, the most advanced and precise option, is now routinely used for most patients.

The hospital is also redefining the management of benign prostate enlargement through Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP), widely regarded as the gold standard worldwide.

“HoLEP has no size limitation, causes less bleeding, shortens hospital stay and significantly reduces complications,” Undie said.

Kelina became Nigeria’s first HoLEP centre in 2018 and has since performed over 600 procedures, with a mortality rate of less than 0.2 per cent, comparable to elite global institutions.

In prostate cancer care, robotic surgery is now the hospital’s default approach, except in special cases such as kidney transplant patients. Undie disclosed that the hospital once performed nine prostate cancer surgeries in a single week, including on patients with heart disease and diabetes — all of whom were recovering well.

Overall, Kelina has completed more than 6,000 surgeries across specialties, maintaining a mortality rate of below one per cent, significantly lower than the 3.2 to 6 per cent range reported by the United States National Institutes of Health.

“These results are not about individual brilliance. They are about teamwork, systems, discipline and strict safety protocols,” Undie said.

More than half of urology patients are now discharged within 24 hours, reflecting the hospital’s focus on minimally invasive procedures and its investment in advanced sterilisation systems, including plasma sterilisation technology.

In 2025, Kelina operated with four consultant urologists, including specialists who have trained over 100 African urologists at IRCAD Africa, a former Head of Urology at the National Hospital, Abuja, and a robotic surgeon who has completed over 2,000 robotic procedures.

Undie credited both expatriate and diaspora experts, as well as regulatory backing from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, for enabling the safe delivery of procedures once unavailable locally.

According to the hospital, its high-volume, technology-driven approach is already discouraging Nigerians from seeking care abroad and helping conserve foreign exchange.

“Some of our patients can afford treatment anywhere in the world, yet they choose to come here. That confidence tells us we are changing the narrative,” Undie said.

He urged the government to deepen support for healthcare providers, including tax relief on imported medical equipment, describing healthcare as a strategic national investment.

Kelina, he added, plans to expand its minimally invasive surgery programme into general surgery, gynaecology, paediatrics, ENT and orthopaedics, while strengthening partnerships with NGOs to support indigent patients.

Experts Urge Early Screening as Key to Sustaining the Turnaround

Consultant physicians Dr. Nedosa Kenechi and Dr. Aklilu Getchew said Kelina’s results reflect the power of early presentation, modern technology and multidisciplinary teamwork.

Kenechi said early hospital visits remain critical.

“Minimally invasive surgery reduces trauma, shortens recovery time and removes many of the fears people have about surgery,” he said, adding that fertility and sexual function can still be preserved through options such as sperm banking and assisted reproduction.

Getchew explained that prostate cancer is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, noting its higher prevalence among men of African descent but stressing that lifestyle choices strongly affect disease progression.

He said the rising number of cases reflects better diagnosis rather than a sudden explosion in disease and called for nationwide screening for men aged 45 and above.

According to him, wider screening will enable earlier intervention and access to advanced treatments, including robotic surgery, with outcomes comparable to top global centres.

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