Makinde, Mbah, others urge Nigerian doctors in diaspora to end medical tourism
By Adejayan Gbenga
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, his Enugu State counterpart Peter Mbah, and other stakeholders have charged Nigerian doctors in the diaspora to consider deploying their skills and expertise to boost the health sector in a bid to reverse medical tourism.
They made the remarks separately at the inauguration of Block C, the first of six blocks of a students’ hostel building project at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI), donated by a member of the 1985 alumni set of the college, Dr. Philip Ozuah—who 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, commended Ozuah’s generosity and encouraged other Nigerians in the diaspora to emulate his example and contribute to the uplift of humanity. They stated that institutions all over the world thrive on the strength of the benevolence and generosity of their alumni 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 and contribute their expertise and resources toward revitalizing the country’s health sector and reversing medical tourism.
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 with NiDCOM in encouraging other Nigerians in the diaspora to follow suit in a bid to improve the medical and health sector while also tackling the ‘japa’ menace among health practitioners.
In his remarks, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, who was represented by a director in the Directorate of Senior Secondary Education, Mr. Adewale Aderibigbe, described the Philip Ozuah Hostel as a symbol of unwavering commitment to the growth of Nigeria’s healthcare system and a powerful testament to the enduring values of philanthropy, patriotism, and service to humanity.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, who spoke through Dr. Jimoh Salaudeen, said the donation would complement the efforts of the Federal Government to increase the admission quota of all health workers by the university and to address the incessant brain drain, as well as to upgrade facilities required by students in the university.
The Chairman of NiDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, while speaking at the inauguration, encouraged doctors working with other healthcare professionals in the country to change the narrative about medical tourism and reverse it, adding that Nigerian hospitals can meet the health needs of citizens rather than having them go abroad.
