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Lagos diversifies healthcare to reduce medical tourism, brain drain
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, says the state is establishing specialist hospitals to reduce medical tourism and brain drain in the health sector.
Abayomi said this during the Doctors for Change (DFC) conference on Saturday in Lagos.
According to him, the state identified trust, and lack of medical specialities, as factors driving Nigerians overseas for medical care.
Abayomi said the trend would be reversed to make the state a medical tourist destination.
“We have many general hospitals but what we lack are specialist facilities, and you can get specialist care both in the government and private hospitals.
“What we are trying to do is that we are building more specialist hospitals.
“We have the Massey Children Specialist Hospital, Infectious Disease Research Institute, the largest psychiatric hospital in Africa at Ketu-Ejirin, Epe, the Omotunde Ajoke Cole Hospital, Island.
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“We are trying to create a diversification of medical care, so if you need a kidney transplant, heart surgery, the highest level of infectious diseases, rehabilitation centres, you can get it here,” Abayomi said.
He said that the government would continue to invest in human resources, and set standards and the right policies to ensure the delivery of quality healthcare services.
The commissioner said the state was embarking on a digital footprint that would connect all health facilities, to holistic and collective data on the health-seeking behaviour of Lagosians.
Abayomi said the state wants to partner with the DFC on how the private sector could assist in achieving its strategic goals.
He said the state would continue to evolve favourable policies to attract doctors in the Diaspora, back to Nigeria, either fully or partly.
“Lagos needs to be an international destination for cutting-edge medical service delivery, innovation and research for the betterment of its people,” he said.
(NAN)
