FG Moves To Curb Medical Tourism

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has said only Nigerians battling cancer, kidney problem, and cardiac issue will be permitted to travel for treatment abroad.

Adewole disclosed this while lamenting the poor state of the country’s health system, adding that the government is making effort to tackle cancer through the provision of modern facilities.

“We’re focusing on three main reasons Nigerians go out of the country for medical treatment. They are cancer, kidney problems, and cardiac issues.

“We’re investing in cancer now so that we can develop the capacity. At the National Hospital, we have two cancer treatment machines.

”Any moment from now the second machine will start working. The two machines will be able to treat 200 persons daily. We’re also supporting Sokoto, Enugu, and Edo. We will do this all over the country,’’ he said.

He further urged Nigerians to make proper use of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which he lamented that only four percent of the country’s population is covered by the Scheme.

“Part of the challenges we face is the near collapse of the healthcare system. But one of the unique things this government has done is to put money in the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, BHCPF.

“Fifty percent of the money will flow to NHIS to take care of medical expenses of our people so that they will not have to pay out of their pocket for treatment.

”We will also use this measure to grow NHIS enrolment. As of today, only four per cent of Nigerians is covered by the scheme.

”We are encouraging the states and the FCT to set up their own health insurance systems. No state will benefit from the BHCPF if they don’t have functional health insurance and contributory scheme “