Medical Tourism: Healthcare Entrepreneur Seeks FG’s Financial Intervention

Gilbert Ekugbe 

Expressing concerns over the high cost of medical tourism incurred by Nigerians, the Managing Director, Grover’s Hospital, Dr. Grover Anil, has called on the federal government to as a matter of urgency introduce a special financing window for health care entrepreneurs at a single digit interest rate in its bid to checkmate medical tourism and achieve a virile health sector.

It is estimated that Nigeria spends over N664 billion yearly on medical tourism even as the country loses lots of medical professionals to foreign countries in search of greener pastures.

Speaking on the sidelines of a free women and children health check camp/medical outreach organised by Grover’s Hospital and the Rotary Club of Lagos Island District 9110, Anil said the move would give access to underprivileged people to have access to quality medical services while also ensuring that the nation’s health sector flourishes like its counterparts across the globe.

“The healthcare sector is one of the most critical sector in our society and if we are supported by way of duty waivers on the import of all the medical equipment, duty waivers on some of the life-saving drugs, this would ultimately reduce the price of drugs and would make services more affordable and accessible to the Nigerian people,” he said.

Speaking on the medical outreach programme, the Managing Director, said the partnership with Rotary Club of Lagos Island, is aimed at serving the community by organising a free complimentary health check up camp, stressing that the programme is specifically designed as a maternal health for the needy and poor women and children who do not have access to good quality health care and medical services in the country. 

“A lot of women in our community who do not have access to the good quality health care and medical services and cannot afford leading hospitals for their own check up, scan and some testing.

So we joined hands with the Rotary club of Lagos Island to organise this health check up camp. We do it annually and so far, over 100 under privileged people in the society have benefitted from the programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the president, Rotary Club of Lagos Island District 9110, Rotarian Ramesh Jain, said the partnership is a clear demonstration to reflect its mission statement which 8# service to others, calling all other organisations to emulate Grover’s Hospital to provide basic health care assistance and support to the less privileged in the society.