The traditional ruler of Garki, Alhaji Usman Ngakupi, has urged the West African College of Physicians (WACP) to partner with governments and private investors to establish specialised tertiary hospitals to curb medical tourism.
Ngakupi, Chairman of the Garki Chiefdom Traditional Council in the FCT, made the call on Saturday during a medical outreach organised as part of the College’s 50th Annual General Scientific Meeting (AGSM).
He said many Africans travelled to countries such as the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey and India for medical treatment that could be provided locally.
Ngakupi regretted that African countries had lost their former appeal as medical destinations, noting that people from other countries once travelled to the continent for healthcare.
He urged the College to engage governments, wealthy individuals and young professionals to establish specialised tertiary hospitals across West Africa.
“My prayer and request to this body is that you people are trying, but I want us to see how you can do more so that we can have special hospitals that will serve as tourist destinations,” he said.
Ngakupi urged each state or country to work towards establishing at least one specialised tertiary hospital to provide advanced medical care and reduce the need for overseas treatment.
He called for the involvement of business leaders, including Aliko Dangote, and other investors in mobilising resources for the facilities.
According to him, investment in local healthcare would ease the financial burden on patients who spend millions of dollars and other foreign currencies seeking treatment abroad.
He also expressed concern over the migration of trained physicians, urging governments to improve their welfare and working conditions to retain them.
“We are lacking physicians, and as soon as we manage to train and graduate them, they leave the country. The young people you manage to retain are also faced with a lot of problems,” he said.
The traditional ruler called for a comprehensive assessment of the challenges facing healthcare delivery and urged medical professionals to engage governments on practical solutions.
He said West Africa had the human resources and capacity to strengthen its health systems but needed sustained investment and commitment.
Ngakupi commended the College for choosing his community for the outreach and providing healthcare services to residents.
Speaking, WACP President Dr Mamadou-Mourtalla Ka reaffirmed the College’s commitment to improving healthcare standards and specialist medical training across West Africa.
Ka thanked the traditional ruler and residents for welcoming the College and supporting the outreach.
He said the College would continue to strengthen healthcare delivery and specialist training across Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone countries in the region.
According to him, healthcare challenges transcend national boundaries and require cooperation among countries and stakeholders.
“Healthcare has no borders. Healthcare does not recognise borders,” he said.
Ka said the College would continue to work with traditional institutions, governments and other stakeholders to improve healthcare standards and specialist training.
Earlier, Dr Nnena Okafor, Chairman of the Medical Outreach Subcommittee for the 50th AGSM anniversary, said the exercise was being held at LEA Primary School, Waru, Abuja.
She said the outreach offered health education, medical consultations and treatment for common conditions, including fever, headaches, abdominal pain and malaria.
Okafor added that minor surgical procedures, including lump excision and herniorrhaphy, were also being performed at the primary healthcare centre.
“Right now, we are attending to our sixth patient, and the procedure is ongoing at the primary healthcare centre,” she said.
She said residents had turned out in large numbers and that enough doctors were available to attend to them.
Okafor expressed satisfaction with the turnout, noting that the outreach provided an opportunity to deliver medical services and health education to residents.
The outreach formed part of activities marking the College’s 50th AGSM anniversary.
