By Dipo Awojobi – India’s High Beam Global (HBG), a medical assistance firm will partner with Nigeria to provide treatment of terminal diseases, thereby saving the country of foreign capital outflow.
This was disclosed at a dinner organized by the company in association with Forth Hospital in Lagos.
The HBG said the measure would fast track the development of Nigeria’s health sector and bring succour to the nation’s citizens.
The firm said it was already collaborating with the private sector through Public Private Partnership to enable thousands of Nigerians have access to treatment in India for various terminal diseases at affordable rates.
The Principal Consultant of High Beam Global (HBG) Medical Assistance, Varun Aggarwal said at the event that the company is prepared to assist in taking up the treatment of terminal diseases in Nigeria to save the country from consistent loss of foreign currency and huge bill if people are taken to India for treatment.
He said that a patient would only be referred to India if the disease could not be treated in Nigeria over lack of relevant equipment and medical experts,
He added that the collaboration includes training and re-training of medical experts in Nigeria.
The Group Head of Fortis Hospital, Dr. Sonia Pahna, cited lack of regular medical check-ups as the bane of healthcare business in the country.
Dr. Pahna noted that for better and cost effective delivery health services, the Nigerian government needs to partner with the best healthcare giver in India-Fortis and HBG, in the area of capacity building and technological advancement leverages.
“Nigeria needs to do what India did 10 years back, they need to bring their doctors that are abroad back home their Doctors, who are abroad making.
“At least over 4,000 Nigerian doctors have relocated abroad. Let the government ensure that doctors trained and certificated here stay back here to practice so that they could also produce and develop more doctors, with that Nigeria can become a medical tourist centre,” he said.
A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Epe constituency II, who is also Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, Hon. Segun Olulade told newsmen after the dinner that regular medical check-ups is important for all Nigerians.
He said that this would lead to early detection of ailment and treatment before it spreads further.
“I want to encourage Nigerians and most especially Lagosians to always do regular medical check-ups, it is important that we do it. Health is paramount to every man no matter what goals and attainments we desire.
“If many of the ailments are detected early, it will cost less to treat, Lagos is already coming up with a medical pact. What we need from Fortis and HBG is capacity building and technological expertise partnership,”said Olulade.
