Makinde, Mbah, Others Harp on Diaspora’s Support in Tackling Medical Tourism

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan 

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, his Enugu State counterpart Peter Mbah, and other stakeholders have enjoined foreign-based medical experts who are Nigerians to consider deploying their skills and expertise to boosting the health sector in a bid to reverse medical tourism.

Others who made the call include the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa; his counterpart at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhhamad Alli Pate: and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

They made the remarks separately at the inauguration of Block C, the first of six blocks of students’ hostel building project of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI), donated by a member of the 1985 alumni set of the college, Dr. Philip Ozuah.

Ozuah, a physician, educator and healthcare executive, who currently serves as the President and CEO of Montefiore Medicine, the umbrella organisation for Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA, had on August 1, 2022 donated the sum of $1 million for the project.

The governors, who were represented by their deputies, Bayo Lawal and Ifeanyi Ossai respectively, lauded Ozuah’s generosity and encouraged other Nigerians in the diaspora to emulate his example and contribute to the uplift of humanity, stating that institutions all over the world live on the strength of benevolence and generosity of their alumnus and canvassed for increased support.

Lawal, while highlighting the challenges facing medical education in Nigeria, including limited capacity and brain drain, emphasized the need for stakeholders to work together to expand facilities and train more medical professionals.

Ossai, on his part, while lauding Ozuah, who is from Enugu State, for his philanthropic gesture, said state governments in the country are ready to partner NiDCOM in encouraging other Nigerians in the diaspora to follow suit in a bid to improving the medical and health sector while also tackling the ‘japa’ menace among health practitioners. 

In his remarks, the Minister for Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, described the Philip Ozuah Hostel as a symbol of unwavering commitment to the growth of Nigeria’s health care system and a powerful testament to the enduring values of philanthropy, patriotism, and service to humanity.

Alausa, who was represented by a director in the office of the Directorate, Senior Secondary Education, Mr. Adewale Aderibigbe, said the contribution by Ozuah reflects a spirit of giving that transcends borders and reminds individuals that roots remain firmly planted in Nigeria, adding that the hostel should serve as a beacon of hope, service and excellence.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Pate, who spoke through Dr. Jimoh Salaudeen, said the donation would complement the effort of the Federal Government to increase the admission quota of all health workers by the university to address the incessant brain drain and upgrading facilities required by the students in the university.

The Chairman of NiDCOM, Hon. Dabiri-Erewa, while speaking at the inauguration, said doctors working with other healthcare professionals in the country can change the face of medical tourism and reverse it.

She recounted that in the last four years, about 10 hospitals have been built by diasporan doctors, with one just inaugurated in Abuja, the African Medical Centre of Excellence, an indication that Nigerian doctors are returning to Nigeria to give back.

She said: “I’m sure our doctors in the diaspora can turn it around. We can have a situation where people come to Nigeria for their health needs rather than going out. However, who do you meet when you go out? A lot of them are Nigerian doctors.

“So working with them, I’m sure that can happen. We can change the face of medical tourism and reverse medical tourism in the diaspora by working with our health practitioners at home. We also believe that if they come together collectively, they can build a medical centre of excellence. Because we have the capacity, we have the numbers, all we need is the structural organisation to make it happen.”