The Federal government has stated that the country’s healthcare system now attracts foreign patients.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa said this during an interview on Arise TV on Monday.
According to him, foreign patients, including Indians seeking medical treatments now visits the country’s health care system.
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.
According to him, 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.
He noted that the administration’s commitment to prioritising 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.
“The President has mandated us to increase coverage from about seven million to about 50 million people to have health insurance in the next two to three years. This marks the highest budget allocation for the health sector in almost 24 years”, he added.
