10th July, 2017
A Professor of Medicine, Emeritus Prof. Theophilus Ogunlesi, has advised the Federal Government to allocate more funds to the health sector to curb the incessant medical tourism by Nigerians.
Ogunlesi, the first Professor of Medicine in Nigeria, gave the advice on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sagamu, Ogun state.
He urged the government to provide incentives and conducive working environment for healthcare practitioners to discourage them from seeking greener pastures in medically advanced societies.
He said that the brain drain being witnessed in the sector was as a result of lack of support on the part of the government.
Ogunlesi explained that the first step to enhance the country’s healthcare delivery system was by restoring the citizens’ confidence in the capacity of their country to provide quality healthcare services.
“Government must resolve to equip local healthcare facilities with state-of-the-art infrastructure to curb the need to refer patients abroad for medical treatment.
“Technically, we have the manpower in terms of know-how, but we must bridge the resource divide if we are to reach our full potential in the provision of healthcare,” he said.
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Ogunlesi said that most Nigerians were becoming increasingly worried about the standard of healthcare services in the country.
He declared that provision of potable water and uninterrupted power supply would help to transform the sector.
Commenting on the economy, Ogunlesi urged leaders to explore waste-to-wealth opportunities to complement government’s efforts at revamping the economy.
He also urged the government to prevent indiscriminate disposal of waste which could be recycled to provide renewable energy, such as biogas.
Ogunlesi commended the anti-graft war being championed by President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and described as a “welcome development.’’
He urged Nigerians to contribute their spiritual and material resources towards the success of the war, saying it is the only panacea for development.