MEDICAL TOURISM FROM NIGERIA - May Hospital, Shendam

MEDICAL TOURISM FROM NIGERIA

By Enyo Ati, MA, PGDE

Medical Tourism

Health or Medical Tourism refers to the practice of traveling abroad to obtain medical treatment.

Some specialised therapies, treatment or procedures may only be available in certain countries, so patients may go abroad to get them.

Patients may want to receive medical care from a well-known and talented medical professional who works in another country.

Others opt to travel for medical treatments when they wish to have access to better technology elsewhere.

Other reasons for opting for treatment abroad may be secrecy, non-surgical or minimal surgery treatment options and availability of more complex investigations, procedures and treatments or therapies.

Cost to the Nigerian Economy

The former NMA President, Professor Innocent Ujah, (also Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Medical Sciences, Otukpo and professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology), at a recent forum, NMA maiden annual lecture in April, 2021 at Abuja, lamented the disturbing rise of medical tourism and the loss it has brought to Nigeria. He stated that Nigerians spend an estimated ‘$1 billion yearly on medical treatments outside the country’. The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) also gave this figure.

Regretting that the rise of medical tourism was negatively impacting the nation’s health system, Prof Ujah stated that Africa, including Nigeria, was encountering a health workforce crisis.

A review of the Central Bank’s balance of payment data reveals that over the past 10 years, Nigerians have spent the sum of $11.01 billion on health-related services abroad. This sum was spent between 2011 and the first quarter of 2021, recording the highest in 2019 with $2.56 billion foreign health expenses, and the least in 2016 at $17 million.

In the first half of 2022, Nigerians spent a sum of $185 million on foreign health (medical) services, falling by 65% compared to $528 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2021. This is according to data included in the country’s balance of payment breakdown obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

In 2018 the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI) said that Nigeria has around 9,000 outbound medical tourists a month, over 100,000 a year, with India being the major beneficiary of 500 visits a month.

Countries like USA have some citizens who prefer medical tourism to American healthcare due to expensive, barely available treatment or medical attention. As a result of this, some US medical insurers have developed relationships with hospitals in other countries in an effort to control the costs that are associated with health care. There are even large medical schools in the U.S. that have developed initiatives with providers overseas.

Implications On Healthcare Services in Nigeria

The implications are:

An impoverished health system
Reduction of funding and investment in the health sector

iii. Badly paid and unmotivated health workers

Widening infrastructural deficits
The growing distrust in the Nigerian health system by the Nigerian public
Overall lack of progress in the health sector. Nigeria is still grappling with disturbingly poor health indices.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), sub-Saharan Africa has about 3 per cent of the world’s health workers while it accounts for 24 per cent of the global burden of disease. Nigeria’s doctor-to-population ratio of about 1: 4000-5000 falls far short of the WHO recommended doctor-to-population ratio of 1:600.

The efficiency and progress of Nigeria’s healthcare sector depends on a number of factors. Apart from a stable and well-paid medical workforce, citizens have to use Nigerian medical care more than healthcare abroad.

The huge amount of money Nigerians spend on medical tourism is detrimental to the economy and development of the healthcare system.

Healthcare Services and Medical Tourism

The medical tourism of Nigerians out of Nigeria is supposedly to get more advanced healthcare abroad.

Globally, people from advanced countries engage in medical tourism to get faster access to the (sometimes cheaper) services they require.

For the host country, medical tourism into their country raises the cost and standard of health care delivery. For example, India claims that they are improving the services for the local citizens by having more tourists and improving the health care in those tourist centres.

The most common reasons for medical tourism include disappointment with medical facilities, medical service delivery and healthcare back home.

Nigerian medical experts have recommended that government must improve healthcare financing with 15 percent of total budgetary allocation to the sector, pursue full implementation of the National Health Act and other interventions to improve the sector’s delivery system.

Other recommendations are that the federal government should look into establishing an institution like the Bank of Industry (BoI) in the health sector as part of efforts to boost service delivery. Such establishment will provide support for private health practitioners, create diversification and modernisation of existing health institutions and rehabilitation of existing ones.

President Muhammadu Buhari allocated a sum of N1.09 trillion to the Nigerian health sector in the 2023 appropriation bill, an improvement from the N714 billion allocated in the previous budget. This accounts for 5.4% of the total projected expenses for the year. Compared to South Africa’s 11.9% allocation, Nigeria’s N1.09 trillion appears to still be inadequate. Nigeria’s health sector budget stood at N4,935 per capita in 2023 appropriation.

Which Ailments Take Nigerians Out of The Country the Most?

Major reasons for such travels are cancer treatments, organ transplants, maternity care, baby deliveries, cardiac surgeries, neurosurgeries, cosmetic surgeries and complicated medical check-up.

Countries Most Visited by Health Tourists from Nigeria

5 countries most patronised by Nigerians for medical tourism are India, Turkey, UAE, Thailand, and Spain.

Nigerians also travel for healthcare services to nations like the UK, United States of America, and South Africa.

Ref:

Guardian.ng/interview

Von.gov.ng

Punchng.com

https://africacheck.org › fact-checks › spotchecks

https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports

thecable.ng

https://nationalnma.org/