Medical Tourism: Monarch Calls For Specialist Hospitals In Every State

The Sa’Peyi of Garki, Abuja, Alhaji Dr Usman Nga Kupi, has called on the federal and state governments to establish specialised tertiary hospitals in every state to reduce Nigerians’ reliance on foreign countries for medical treatment.

The monarch also urged the West African College of Physicians (WACP) to collaborate with governments, medical professionals and wealthy Nigerians to mobilise resources for the development of advanced medical facilities.

Kupi made the call during a visit by the WACP delegation to his palace ahead of a free medical outreach at LEA Primary School, Waru community, Abuja, organised as part of activities marking the college’s 50th anniversary.

He expressed concern that Nigerians continued to travel to countries such as the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey and India to access specialised healthcare, despite the financial burden associated with seeking treatment abroad.

“My prayer and request to this body is that you people are trying. You are trying, but I want us to see how you can do more so that we can have special hospitals that will serve as tourist destinations,” he said.

The monarch questioned why Nigeria and other African countries had lost their previous appeal as destinations for medical treatment, calling for an examination of the factors responsible for the trend.

“It baffles me sometimes because I remember that when we were children, especially before we came to Nigeria, many people from outside our countries came here to seek medical treatment in our institutions.

“So, I do not know where we got it wrong. Is it the environment? Is it us? Or is it our governments that have created this problem?” he asked.

Kupi urged the WACP to engage prominent investors and philanthropists, including Aliko Dangote, to support the establishment of specialist hospitals capable of providing advanced medical services locally.

According to him, investing in specialised healthcare facilities at home would help reduce the substantial foreign exchange spent by Nigerians seeking treatment abroad while making advanced medical services more accessible.

“We should invest that money here. We should be able to put something on the ground rather than continue travelling abroad,” he added.

He also warned that overseas medical trips could be expensive and risky because of the cost and demands of travelling long distances to obtain treatment.

The monarch commended the college for choosing Waru community for its medical outreach, saying the initiative had brought healthcare services closer to residents.

Meanwhile, the President of the WACP, Dr Mamadou Mourtalla Ka, reaffirmed the college’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery and specialist training across West Africa.

“Healthcare has no borders. Healthcare does not recognise borders,” he said.

Ka said the college was working to improve healthcare standards and specialist training in English-, French- and Portuguese-speaking West African countries.

The college’s 50th anniversary celebration, themed: “WACP@50: Celebrating a Legacy and Envisioning the Future,” featured its Annual General and Scientific Meeting and community health activities.

At the medical outreach, a Fellow of the WACP in the Faculty of Family Medicine, Dr Pemi Daniel, said about 15 patients had been selected and screened for free surgical services.

He said patients with conditions including hernia, hydrocele and lipoma were assessed for treatment, adding that some had already received surgical care.

“We are attending to people with medical conditions and surgical conditions. In this place, we have about 15 people who have been selected and screened for free surgical services,” he said.

Daniel added that other residents presenting with various medical conditions were also receiving attention from members and fellows of the college.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Medical Outreach Committee, Dr Nnena Okafor, said the programme provided health education, treatment for common illnesses and minor surgical procedures.

She said patients presenting with fever, headaches, abdominal pain and malaria were receiving medical attention, while procedures including lump excision and herniorrhaphy were being performed at the primary healthcare centre.

Okafor said the medical team had attended to its sixth surgical patient at the time of the interview.

She expressed satisfaction with the turnout, noting that residents had come out in large numbers and that sufficient medical personnel were available to attend to them.