Political class urged to shun medical tourism

Residents of FCT-Abuja on Friday called on politicians to patronise local hospitals and shun medical tourism to develop the nation’s health sector.

A cross section of the residents made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

They decried the practice of medical tourism by the political class to hinder growth in patronage of health facilities within the country.

Some of the residents called for proper investment in health facilities to reduce the practice of medical tourism by the political class.

Others urged governments at all levels to prioritise investment in the nation’s health facilities to make them more functional rather than go abroad for medical treatments.

A resident of Garki, Abuja, Mr James Majiro, urged politicians to redirect the steps and look inward to move the nation’s health care sector forward.

According to him, other countries of the world with thriving health care systems made progress as a result of developing synergy between the public and private sectors.

Majiro said: “Our political class can emulate such best practice in the bid to encourage proper investment in the health care service delivery.

“We want politicians to come up with strategic proposals to re-position the medical profession and of course health care system in Nigeria, rather than travel abroad for treatment.”

He further called for measures to always check politicians wanting to travel abroad for medical tourism, to know what works and what to improve in the sector.

On his part, Mr Clement Nwanze, a resident of Bwari Area Council, FCT, said that the habit of some politicians travelling outside their country for treatment often put Nigeria’s image in bad light.

Nwanze, a businessman, urged the political class to redirect their steps and look inward to boost the country’s health care sector.

“We want politicians to come up with strategic proposals to re-position the medical profession and of course the health care system in Nigeria, rather than travel abroad for treatment.

“Although our country is blessed with medical professionals, you still find politicians going abroad for treatment that can be handled here, this is wrong,” Nwanze said.

Another resident, Mrs Rebecca Tom, said that medical tourism could adversely affect the lives of Nigerians and of course the overall image and integrity of Nigeria.

Tom, a resident of Gwagwalada, advised governments to take urgent steps to bring about complete overhaul of the health system in the country.

“We want politicians to address this fundamental issue in the health care sector, because they have been elected as leaders to solve problems even in the sector.

“They have a fundamental role to play in driving new understandings, new relationships that will ultimately improve quality patient care,” Tom said.

Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed, a resident of Gwarimpa, also advised politicians to patronise medical facilities in the country, because it is cheaper when compared to the ones abroad.

“One way of stopping Nigerians from leaving the country for their medical needs is by reinforcing their faith in the Nigerian health care system,” Ahmed however said.

A resident of Kuje, Mrs Faith William, said she had lost confidence in the political class who go for foreign medical treatment, saying it contribute to waste of public resources.

According to her, other countries make efforts to tackle challenges that affect their healthcare system and “you never get to hear about their problem, I wonder why ours seem different.

“People who occupy leadership positions ought to come up with measures to fix problems in the health sector, then government will step in.”

“The practice by politicians to travel out of the country just to get medical treatment is enough to affect the operation of our health institutions here negatively,” she said.

Mrs Evelyn John, a resident of Maitama in Abuja, urged the political class to invest in the nation’s health sector to discourage medical tourism.

According to her, much could be achieved if the Federal Government adopts a policy to reduce and regulate the act of medical tourism by the political class.