A leading healthcare service provider in Turkey, Memorial Hospitals Group, has disclosed that plans are underway to partner with the Federal Government to curb medical tourism in Nigeria.
The Administrator of Memorial Hospitals in Nigeria, Zainab Bashir Kyata, said at the launch of the African branch of the hospital in Abuja, Nigeria, that part of the plan is setting up the hospital branch in Nigeria, which is aimed at addressing the longstanding challenge of medical tourism and investments in infrastructure and personnel in Nigeria.
Bashir-Kyata said: “I believe that by us coming to Nigeria, a lot of doctors should be able to stay here because if they want to go out of Nigeria because maybe they feel some things are lacking and all that, by us coming here, we plan to work together with the government and the Ministry of Health as well so that we can curtail a lot of these problems like doctors leaving and all that.”
She also disclosed that the hospital will support the government by providing an outpatient department (OPD), as doctors will be sent all the way from Turkey
“When I say doctors, I do not mean just any doctors; we are sending professionals who have over 20 years of experience, and most of them are even at the top of the doctors that they have, even in Turkey.”
“I’m sure that by doing that, the Nigerian government should be able to assist us and see what we are trying to do because, you know, this is not something we are telling the Nigerian government that they should give doctors to go out of Nigeria for training.”
“We are also telling the government that we are bringing these doctors here so if they need training, if they need some form of assistance, not just patients, we are here for you. We are just a phone call away.” She added
Also, the Coordinator of Human Rights at the Garki Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association, Emmanuel Omahiekwe, emphasised the need for the government to utilise the polling unit system to establish health facilities
He said, “We have a polling unit across Broads. If you can have that number of polling units, what stops you as a responsible government from setting up hospitals, primary healthcare facilities, and secondary health care so that people can access quick medical care?”
“By so doing, we are going to curb medical tourism because Nigerians derive pleasure from travelling outside the country to access medical care. For us, this is the right time for the government to do the needful.” He said.
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