Leisure and cultural tourisms are concepts that are well understood but it is a bit disturbing to associate tourism with life threatening and serious medical conditions such as heart diseases, cancer and other chronic illnesses.
Medical tourism occur when people travel overseas to attend to their health needs. Many nations of the world such as Japan, Costa Rica, India, Hungary, United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, United States to name a few profit greatly from the medical tourism business. These nations simply make their healthcare systems attractive for people of other nations to seek after.
Formerly, people from developing nations of the world seek after the improved healthcare system of developed nations but research has shown that lately, the number of people from developed nations travelling to developing nations for medical treatment is on the increase.
Some people do so for economic reasons. It is like the common case of outsourcing business services that is done via many freelancing platforms like Upwork, Fiverr and so on. The major reason why this businesses thrive is because entrepreneurs who are based in developing nations charge lower prices for their services than their contemporaries in developed nations.
Some other people travel to developing nations for medical treatment because of lesser treatment time, better technology and standard healthcare system available in these nations.
Medical tourism therefore contribute greatly to the economic growth of developing nations that prioritize the development of their healthcare sector.
Unfortunately, this is not the case with the giant of Africa: Nigeria. According to the Guardian Newspaper, the current Nigeria president has travelled overseas for medical treatment six times since he assumed office in 2015, despite the huge amount of money budgeted for upgrading the presidential Villa Clinic.
Surprisingly, one of the president's campaign promises includes putting an end to medical tourism among politicians in Nigeria, if elected into office. This is the case of action speaking louder than words, I guess.
Some medical practitioners have even alleged that some politicians in Nigeria travel overseas with tax payer's money for routine check up, malaria treatment or similar medical conditions which can be easily attended to in the country.
Obviously, no serious attention will be given to the nation's healthcare system if the country's political leaders continue to demonstrate lack of confidence in the nation healthcare system.
It is a red alert to people in the upper echelon of society's stratum who can also afford to travel overseas for healthcare services that it is unsafe to patronize the nation's healthcare system.
Is it any wonder then that in 2020 when COVID-19 pandemic force many nations of the world to close their borders, that the average Nigerian was somewhat grateful that the pandemic could confined their political leaders, at least temporarily, to the nation's healthcare system which they have always underfunded and somewhat disdained by their actions.
Image of Coronavirus Source
Ironically, Nigeria is a great exporter of medical practitioners. According to a recent statement credited to the president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Professor Innocent Ujah, less than half of the country's registered 80,000 medical doctors are currently practicing in the country. The others are lost to foreign nations.
I can't refrain myself from imagining a situation where a high profile Nigeria politician travel oversea and end up being treated by a Nigeria doctor who escaped from his country to practice oversea. How long shall we continue like this?
What are the reasons for medical tourism by Nigerians?
Brain-drain
I wrote about this already in my last article which you can find here.
Belief system
It seems there is a subtle belief among Nigerians that foreign products or services are superior to what is produced or provided locally. This belief stems from hasty generalization, in my opinion and have multiplier effects on every aspect of our everyday life.
For example, some local manufacturers have to camouflage by writing made in China, India, Indonesia etc., on the packaging material of their products to successfully sell them to Nigeria.
This love for anything foreign is one of the reasons for medical tourism among Nigerians.
Basic Infrastructure deficits
Lack of basic infrastructure in Nigeria's healthcare system is another factor that continue to drive people overseas for medical attention. Many government hospitals lack common bed space for patients.
Sometimes, it is embarrassing to write about one's experience in government hospitals. It is better to leave readers to imagine what people go through to access healthcare services in Nigeria than to put them on the blockchain. I have had a first hand experience of this, so no joke is intended here.
Basically, healthcare system is seriously underfunded and consequently the masses have to pay for it, many times with their lives. Yes, the masses pay for it when they waste away while healthcare workers embark on incessant industrial action to air their grievances, of which underfunding is chief.
It is hard to belief that some unscrupulous elements in the health sectors also swindle public funds and divert them into private pockets. Recently, the executive secretary of the National Insurance Scheme (NHIS), was found guilty of allegation of gross misconduct and fraud yet many people go through hell to access the benefit of the said scheme.
Bad blood among health workers
The unending rivalry among doctors and other health workers is also taking its toll on the healthcare system. This battle for supremacy among health workers is needless and unfruitful. It is one of the reasons that have been identified to fuel the desire of Nigerian for medical treatment overseas.
What are the results of medical tourism by Nigerians?
Cash fly
According to Guardian Newspaper, Nigeria loses over 576 billion naira yearly to medical tourism. Just imagine what different that amount of money will make, if it were invested into the health sector.
Corrosion of citizen's confidence
If the leadership of the country pass a vote of no confidence on it own healthcare system by their actions, whatever confidence citizen have in the system will surely be corroded with time.
Carefree attitude
The carefree attitude being manifested by many healthcare workers in Nigeria is a clear reflection of the attitude of the leadership of the country toward the health sector.
What are the remedies for medical tourism by Nigerians?
Faith
The country political leaders must show the populace that they have confidence in the nation's healthcare system by patronizing it.
Funding
Adequate funding must be deployed to the nation's healthcare system to fix up the basic infrastructural deficit.
Friendliness
Health workers must be trained to be friendly to patient. Health workers must learn to cooperate among themselves to move the nation healthcare system forward.
Foreign investment
The government must leave no stone unturned to woo foreign investor into the nation's healthcare system.
In conclusion
The government must act fast to salvage the nation's healthcare system before its reaches its elastic limit.
References
Medical tourism in Nigeria: Challenges and remedies to health care system development
Nigeria loses over N576b yearly to medical tourism
Nigeria Loses 40,000 Registered Doctors to Foreign Nations
EXCLUSIVE: How probe panel found NHIS’ Usman Yusuf guilty of fraud, misconducts
This is a very germane subject in today's Nigeria. Unfortunately, not many people are discussing it. Middle-class people just go about their thing as if everything is fine so long as they can afford to fund their lifestyles, forgetting that they are just a sickness away from going bankrupt.
You should consider posting posts like this in hive naija community and then crossposting to stemsocial so as to give it more visibility.
Thank you so much for your comment and advice. This is the first time I am reading about hive naija. I will heed your advice.
Thanks for this interesting post. I believe that your conclusions apply to many other country. OK, medical tourism is maybe (definitely?) not an issue, for instance in France, but the system limit is slowly getting reached.
In addition, thinking it is better elsewhere is also not typical from Nigeria, but applies to a variety of places. I am tempted to say that it is typical from humans.
Yes! I agree that it is typical for humans to think it is better elsewhere. Your comment added spices to the post. Thank you for your remark.
Thanks for your contribution to the STEMsocial community. Feel free to join us on discord to get to know the rest of us!
Please consider delegating to the @stemsocial account (80% of the curation rewards are returned).
Please consider including @stemsocial as a beneficiary to get a stronger support.
Congratulations @saintgentle! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s):
Your next target is to reach 3250 upvotes.
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCheck out the last post from @hivebuzz: