Every year, tons of Nigerians troop out of the country for medical care and with most skilled Doctors leading the way, it is no wonder those who can afford their services are heading out as well. A classic example would be our own Baba ‘Bubu’ who has gone a couple of times or more to the UK for ear infection treatment and other medical related issues.
Tomislav Mestrovic (MD, PhD) defines Medical tourism as the process of people travelling from their country to another country to receive medical care. Even when patients travel from one city to another to receive medical, dental or surgical care that is called domestic medical tourism. This is one sector of tourism that can rake in a massive income that can improve the economy of our country - if the needs of our health sector are adequately met.
Here are a few things you need to know about medical tourism:
1. People engage in Medical tourism due to affordability, access to or availability of better healthcare services. Patients travel to receive the high-quality treatment they can’t get in their country or receive that same quality of treatment at a lower cost in another country. An example would be Nigerians travelling to India for Eye surgeries. Some people travel to other countries for procedures that are considered illegal or not yet approved in their country because of the health risk it poses. E.g. a transgender Nigerian travelling abroad for sex change surgery.
2. What really makes travelling for medical reasons tourism is when the patients are required to stay in a foreign country for a little while before being released to travel back home. In the time they are resting, that’s when they engage in tourist activities like city tours, visiting historical monuments and places, and any other tour activities.
3. Some hospitals provide accommodation (free) for patients and their caregivers to stay after being discharged from admission. The purpose is to make their stay in the country easier so they can be available for a regular check-up before they are cleared to go home. It is in this space of time that patients get the opportunity to become tourists during their stay.
4. Medical Tourism differs from Health Tourism. Medical tourism strictly refers to surgery (cosmetic and otherwise) while Health tourism is more inclusive. Health Tourism comprises a wide range of healthcare services like psychiatry, rehabilitation, burial, preventive and curative forms of treatments, etc. It also covers Wellness Tourism, fertility tourism, dental tourism, circumvention tourism among others.
5. Medical Tourism Associations/Companies are responsible for bringing awareness of this industry internationally to consumers who travel for health care services. These companies not only make the medical options available, but they also coordinate the patients trip back and forth including visa processing and post-op care. They keep a list of certified healthcare providers safe to work with overseas and keep a detailed analysis of your health condition.
6. We have a few Medical Tourism Companies in Lagos and Abuja. They link Nigerians with foreign hospitals, cheap medical facilities and improved health care both in Nigeria and abroad. They are Care Point Solutions, Medvisit, Redbridge healthcare and paradigm health care.
7. Nigeria as of 2016 was the leading African country in Medical Tourism. An average of a billion dollars is spent annually on medical tourism. The average medical tourist spends about $30,000 on each medical trip.
8. Medical Tourism opens up the country for integrated healthcare systems between local and international health providers. For example, Indian hospitals are opening health care centres in Nigeria to cater to specialised health care cases. This will improve our healthcare options within the country.
So the next time you have a relative or friend travelling for medical care, be a good buddy and find out a list of safe tourist activity or program they can attempt before they come home.
