By Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom
Nvosi (Abia), Dec. 15, 2023
Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has said that his government is focused on reversing medical tourism in the state through deploying relevant resources to enhance the state’s health sector.
Otti said this on Thursday, when members of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) Accreditation Team visited him in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.
The governor affirmed the commitment of his administration to initiate programmes that would ensure improved access to quality healthcare services in the state.
He also promised that his administration would build a medical village that would provide quality medicare and follow-up care to patients.
He said: “Our vision is to reverse medical tourism not just in Abia, but in Nigeria.
“If the numbers by the past administration is anything to go by, the country spends not less than $1.6 billion on medical tourism and not less than 50 per cent to 60 per cent of that money is spent in India.
“When we are done with our Medical Village, we are targeting 10 per cent of the $1.6 billion in Abia.”
Otti further said that the government allotted 15 per cent and 20 per cent of the state’s 2024 budget to health and education, respectively.
He hoped that the measure would drive the government’s efforts to transform the health and education sectors.
He said that the government was desirous to provide easy access to quality education.
According to him, plans are underway to commence a scholarship scheme to give free education to some level and help the indigent have access to education.
Otti also said that he had taken note of the issues raised by the accreditation team, requiring urgent attention, adding that government would expedite action to ensure they were addressed.
He said that the government was making deliberate and intentional efforts to ensure that the accreditation of Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) was restored.
Otti said that the government was making concerted efforts to ensure that the days of accreditation loss became a thing of the past in Abia.
Also, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo, said that the government was implementing various innovations in the health sector to improve access to quality and affordable healthcare in Abia.
Okoronkwo said that to further drive its agenda in the health sector, government would be conducting training and retraining of doctors.
The Vice Chancellor of the Abia State University, Prof. Onyemachi Ogbulu, thanked the government for helping the institution to stay on track, saying that accreditation remained a vital factor for healthy progress in every system.
The Registrar of the council, Dr Tajudeen Sanusi, commended the government for its giant strides in the health sector, especially in the allocation of 15 per cent of the annual budget to health and its decision to build a medical village.
Sanusi, who was represented by the Deputy Registrar, Dr Nnaemeka Nwakanma, described it as a step in the right direction, which would help in reversing medical tourism.
He commended the government for its efforts in transforming the health sector and to secure reaccreditation for ABSUTH.
Sanusi said that as much as the government was desirous to continue the training of medical doctors in ABSUTH there were a few things that ought to be addressed.
He, therefore, urged the government to conduct massive recruitment of appropriate medically qualified academic staff, build a clinical skills laboratory and provide modern medical equipment for learning in ABSUTH.
