FG Declares War On Medical Tourism

The minister of state for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu was committed to eliminating medical tourism.

Dr Salako stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has increased the budgetary allocation for health this year to eliminate medical tourism.

The minister, who stated this yesterday when he visited the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital and National Ear Care Centre in Kaduna for routine supervision of equipment, explained that

Tinubu increased the budgetary allocation for health this year with the sole aim of eliminating medical tourism.
Salako also said that the budgetary allocation will reduce cost of controlled drugs and other medical consumables via issuing of waiver and a holistic change of mechanism in the recruitment process and addressing japa syndrome.

“The federal government budget for eye care surgery across Nigeria is hinged on what National Eye Centre Kaduna can do. It means that this hospital is strategic in the implementation of that aspect of the budget. The staff of this hospital must rededicate themselves to work”.

He, therefore, charged the hospital to develop and maintain more robust community relations.

“I still feel this hospital is not doing enough because we still have a sizable number of Nigerians with preventable blindness, cataract and so many others. I want you to increase your penetration to the communities,” he said.

At the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, the minister urged the hospital to liaise with the Kaduna State Government on Mental Health Services to ensure effective service delivery at the grassroots.

At the Ear Care Centre, Salako said team work is needed to achieve positive results.