Nigeria loses approximately $1.2 billion annually to medical tourism due to its weak healthcare system, according to Dr Habibu Yahaya, WHO Coordinator in Ondo State. He made this known while speaking at the fourth Annual Public Health Grand Round held at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo.
Dr Yahaya said Nigeria’s health system struggles with shocks, such as disease outbreaks, and long-term issues, including poor funding and frequent strikes. These challenges push many Nigerians to seek medical care abroad. During the event, experts said one major problem is the shortage of healthcare workers. Prof. Ezekiel Adebayo, a top official at UNIMED, stated that the university was established to address this issue by training professionals, including dental surgeons and therapists.
Meanwhile, Dr Babajide Saheed, Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association in Lagos, called on the government to improve doctors’ salaries and benefits to stop the brain drain of health workers leaving Nigeria for better opportunities abroad.
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