By Adekunle Yusuf
A United States-trained obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr. Emmanuel Soyoola, has cautioned elite Nigerians who always travel abroad for medical treatment to have a rethink, saying the practice is injurious to the country’s economy.
He stated that more than $1 billion Nigeria loses yearly to medical tourism is enough to revamp the sector significantly.
Soyoola gave the advice during the unveiling of Olan Comprehensive Healthcare Centre, a world-class healthcare facility in Lagos.
Olan, who is the hospital’s Chief Medical Director promised he would put patients first, thereby making it unnecessary for people to travel abroad.
“Olan is set to bring first-world standard healthcare services to Nigerians without having to travel outside the country. We are thrilled to finally commence operations in Nigeria, having provided services abroad to Nigerians and foreigners across our different facilities in Florida, West Virginia and Georgia.
“Beyond bringing healthcare to the elite, we would also be reaching out to the underserved to bring a standard of care accessible by everyone regardless of their socio-economic status. Our strong areas are obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, intensive care for neonates and adults and emergency services.
‘’Our focus is on affordability and genuine care for patients. Having Nigerians travel abroad to seek medical care has a negative economic impact on the country. We must seek to provide an international standard of care locally for the benefit of all,” he said.
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