Written by Sherifat Oediran of Lagos.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has also proposed introducing public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the health sector to increase sustainability and efficiency and reverse medical tourism in favor of the country.
The suggestion was made during a medical expo held by the association to find ways to strengthen the private healthcare industry in Nigeria and reduce the number of healthcare workers leaving for greener pastures.
The NMA Chairman, Professor Bala Odu, explained that the negative effects of medical tourism will only worsen if the state does not intervene.
He said Nigeria, as a patient exporter, contributes more than $2 billion annually to medical tourism, and the global market for medical tourism is expected to reach $180 billion by 2030.
Mr. Audu also said that the intervention will support the provision of national policies backed by fiscal policies to strengthen private and public-private partnerships that at face value strategically position Nigeria as the most competitive destination for medical tourism. In addition to strengthening international tourism, it also aims to provide national policy support. Best practices.
Regarding the current challenges facing the association, Professor Audu pointed out that “excessive workloads have increased the burden on members.”
“The few remaining experts in the country struggled to do their best to ensure the same quality of care as abroad, and as a result were overworked,” he noted.
“It is important that the government accommodates private investment to ensure that the health space is protected,” said Professor Akin Abayomi, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health.
NMA First Vice Chairman, Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu, in an interview with the press, cited the importance of reversing medical tourism, including building trust, improving medical services and mitigating Japa syndrome, citing these For these reasons, the association emphasized the need to take the following actions: At the forefront.
Olowojebutu, who is also the chairman of the Expo’s local organizing committee, pointed out that “private institutions, in partnership with private equity, will greatly contribute to solving the problem.”
He says, “We have hospitals that do 16 kidney transplants every month,” hospitals that can perform cardiovascular surgeries in a matter of hours, and “medical experts from Niger and Mali come to our hospital. “We’re asking them to see what they’re doing.” .
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