Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa, has posited that the nation’s healthcare was no longer in crisis.
According to Alausa, the country’s healthcare system is attracting foreign patients, including Indians, seeking medical treatments. He made the assertion while during an interview on Arise TV on Monday, May 6.
He claimed that with improvements in the healthcare system, the country was witnessing a reversal of the ‘japa syndrome,’ suggesting that medical personnel were returning home from abroad.
The minister pointed out that Nigeria had become a preferred destination for medical tourism, particularly for surgical procedures, which were more cost-effective compared to other countries.
Alausa noted that the proliferation of aesthetic hospitals, numbering close to 900 across Nigeria, also contributes to attracting patients seeking services such as plastic surgery.
“Today, we have almost 900 aesthetic hospitals around Nigeria. People are coming to get plastic surgery,’’ he said, that the Tinubu administration’s commitment to prioritizing public health led to positive changes in the healthcare sector.
“We have a President now that believes a healthy nation is the core to harnessing our biggest asset, which is our human capital,” Alausa said.
He said the government had allocated dedicated funds and initiated collaborations to enhance primary healthcare services and expand health insurance coverage.