Some medical experts on Saturday urged the Federal Government to fix health facilities to checkmate movement of Nigerian medical practitioners to foreign countries to practice.
The Principal Consultant, High Beam Global (HBG), Dr Varun Aggarwal and lead partner of Fortis Hospital, Dr Sonal Pahwa gave the advice at an event in Lagos.
The event, which was organised in Lagos by Fortis and HBG was themed: “Adding Friendship to Healthcare”.
According to the medical experts, the country had lost huge foreign earnings because of the problems confronting Nigerian health infrastructure.
The said that, lack of effective and efficient health sector in the country has led to brain drain of medical doctors of Nigerian origin to other countries, especially developed ones.
Pahwa said, “Nigeria needs to do what India did 10 years back and the country needs to get back home their doctors who are abroad making waves.
“At least over 4,000 Nigerian doctors are practicing abroad; the government should ensure trained and certificated doctors stay to practice for some years.
“Also, this country should produce and develop more doctors and provide conducive environment for them to practice.”
Pahwa said that if attention was given to reviving health infrastructure, the country could become a medical tourist centre soon.
In his address, Aggarwal said that infrastructural development in the sector was cardinal to attracting more home grown medical experts.
According to him, such development will save the country of huge amount of money being expended to seek medical care in foreign countries.
The expert however urged Nigerians to cultivate the habit of regular medical check-ups.
In his remark, Mr Segun Olulade, the Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Health Services commended Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode for investing heavily in the health sector.
Olulade urged government at all levels to take health matters more seriously to prevent unnecessary loss of lives in hospitals.
“I want to encourage Nigerians, especially Lagosians to always do regular medical checkups, it is important that we do that.
“Health is paramount to every man. Many of the ailments if detected early will cost less to treat.
“Lagos is already coming up with a medical pact, what we need from the Fortis and HBG is building capacity and technological expertise partnership,” he said.
