Reactions as Government Claims Patients Come from Abroad to Seek Medical Care in Nigeria

Reactions have trailed the Federal Government claims that people from the United Kingdom and the United States of America have started coming into Nigeria to seek care in the nation’s healthcare facilities.

Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu made the revelation in a post on his X handle.

Onanuga said that people have been coming from everywhere in the world to seek expert medical care in Nigeria because it is cheaper.

Quoting Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State’s submission during an interview with the Punch, Onanuga said that, “Our federal health tertiary hospitals, federal medical centres, university teaching hospitals, specialist hospitals, orthopaedic hospitals, the neuropsychiatrist hospitals have rescued our health system, and they are providing excellent care at a comparatively low cost, we have very-well trained personnel in our hospitals.

“The healthcare system is not a bad system, and we have a good healthcare system, we just have to improve on it. We have built several cancer centres that are functioning in the country.

“The President has given the directive to build 12 new more, which groundbreaking will happen in the next few months. For the ones that are functioning, people are coming from abroad to seek care there because it is cheaper. Even in our private health sector, people are coming from the United Kingdom, and from everywhere in the world to get care in Nigeria because it is cheaper”.

Even in our private health sector, people are coming from the United Kingdom, and from everywhere in the world to get care in Nigeria because it is cheaper. Nigeria has one of the best-trained manpower in the world, and I am a product of that. This is a good country, we just need to put it together so we can unleash our capabilities and this President is determined to ensure that for the benefit of Nigerians”.