Medical Tourism: FG Urged On Investment In Healthcare Infrastructure

With a steady increase in citizens seeking medical treatment abroad, the medical director of Alliance Hospital, Dr.Christopher Otabor, has urged the government on investment in healthcare infrastructure.

Dr. Otabor, who gave the advice while addressing journalists in Abuja, emphasised the urgent need to address the burden.

He lamented the loss of valuable resources, including skilled medical professionals and resources as patients flock overseas in search of healthcare.

“Medical tourism not only drains our healthcare system but also diminishes the confidence of our citizens in local healthcare providers.

“We have the expertise and facilities to deliver world-class medical care right here in Nigeria. However, without adequate support from the government, we risk losing both patients and medical professionals to foreign shores.”

“Despite recent advancements in medical technology and expertise, many citizens continue to face challenges in accessing quality healthcare services within the country,”  he said.

The medical director stressed the detrimental impact of brain drain and medical tourism on Nigeria’s healthcare system, describing them as the “twin evils” undermining healthcare delivery.

Emphasising the severe shortage of doctors and other healthcare specialists in the country, with teaching hospitals and specialist facilities struggling to maintain adequate staffing levels, Dr. Otabor noted that doctors abroad outnumber those practicing in the country.

He said “Nigerian doctors abroad outnumber those practising in the country, the imbalance in the doctor-patient ratio far exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommendations, leaving many communities without access to essential medical care.

He, therefore, called on the government to prioritise healthcare funding and operationalise the National Health Act of 2014, which outlines crucial measures for improving healthcare delivery across the country.

In a solidarity visit to Alliance Hospital by the Guild of Medical Directors, the chairman, a consultant radiologist, Dr Kingsley Iseko, advocated for transparency amidst controversy on kidney transplants in the country.

He called for renewed regulation and oversight to safeguard patients with kidney transplants and uphold professional standards.

“We call for the establishment of nationwide transplant committees with the profession’s dedication to ethical practices and patient-centred care,”  he emphasised.