Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
said this during a guided tour of Duchess International Hospital in Lagos.
He said the Federal Government was determined to stop the
trend, which he described as a drain on the country's foreign reserves.
Mohammed said there were several health interventions and
provision of the enabling environment for private-sector driven enterprises
like Dutchess to thrive.
He disclosed that the Federal Government through the
Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has invested a total of $22.5
million in two diagnostic centers in Kano and Umuahia ($5.5 million each) and
the NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre in Lagos ($11.5 million).
Mohammed described Duchess as "a purpose-built,
state-of-the-art, 100-bed hospital, is aimed at delivering the highest standard
of healthcare, using the most advanced technology and treatments to provide
Nigerians with the best medical expertise available anywhere in the
world."
"Yes, the Federal Government, through the Central Bank
of Nigeria and the Bank of Industry, provided financial support for Duchess
International Hospital. This is not new.
"Recall that in the wake of Covid-19, the CBN set up
the N100 billion Healthcare Sector Intervention Fund, now expanded to N200
billion, to provide credit support for the healthcare sector through long-term,
low-cost financing," he said.
He reiterated that the essence of these financial
interventions and projects in the critical healthcare sector is to fast-track
the evolvement of world class healthcare facilities like this Duchess International
Hospital.
The Minister said, "With that, we can conserve our
foreign reserves, earn foreign exchange for the country, create jobs, reverse
brain drain, become a destination for medical tourists and also ensure
affordable and standard healthcare for Nigerians.
"According to available records, Nigerians spend
between USD1.2 and USD1.6 billion on medical tourism. That's a huge drain on
our foreign reserves.
"Also, in order to retain doctors, our healthcare
facilities must be equipped to world standard level and doctors and other
healthcare workers must be adequately remunerated. Of course, facilities like
Duchess International are veritable tools for job creation, in additional to
attracting medical tourists from across the world."
Places visited within the facilities included Cardiology
center, including physiotherapy room; Eye care; Learning and development
center; ENT; Surgical and Gynecology Ward; Fully-automated lab; Intensive and
Critical care unit; Endoscopy unit; Women and Children ward; Dialysis Centre,
Dental Unit, Pharmacy, among others.
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