Fellows of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria has called on the Federal government to slam an immediate ban on any medical tourism abroad at government expense.
Addressing journalists at the Labour Ward Conference Hall of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, as part of arrangements to mark the 2016 annual scientific conference and All Fellows' Congress in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Professor Ayodele Arowojolu urged government to harmonize the nation's health sector by improving on facilities for research and training, and standard medical centres, in each of the six geo-political zones of the country including Abuja.
He said: "Nobody should henceforth use government money to go and get medical treatment abroad. That is the first step to stop medical tourism. Government should not sponsor anybody to go and get treatment abroad unless, of course, that treatment is what we cannot offer. But I will tell you, there is no form of treatment that they have abroad that we don't have in Nigeria. The only difference is that they are not well harnessed here and the facilities are not well organized."
Credit: Daily Trust