As the Coronavirus pandemic sparks global lockdowns, India and other top destinations for medical tourism by Nigerians are feeling the impact as patients billed for surgeries in the South Asian country are cancelling their plans and seeking care at home, SaharaReporters has learnt.
“Even here in Maiduguri, some surgeries have been suspended. Those patients cannot travel abroad now because of the lockdown. Some can’t eat while some can’t pass stool,” a doctor at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital told SaharaReporters on Wednesday. Moitra predicted the industry would suffer heavily for the next six months and may take even longer for patients to find the courage to travel again to India.
“These two cities have hospitals that are equipped to handle any kind of emergency, except vascular surgeries, renal transplant and some cardiology procedures. Sometimes, the hospitals bring in those doctors to come and perform those surgeries in Nigeria. “For the emergency, you treat every patient that comes to you as an emergency as if they are positive and that we have been doing with patient with other infectious diseases that need surgery. Of course, affluent patients may elect to seek the second option outside the country and except that patient has a visa, it takes time and still boils down to elective surgery, which can still wait. I can’t think of any surgery that can’t be done in the country now.
One of the biggest lesson of this pandemic is that charity ought to begin at home. Our leaders should use this opportunity to fix our healthcare system and other infrastructure.
Our churches should know that government had failed and they can make quality money from medication if they venture into well equipped hospitals
Do good do good na for your own sake our leaders no gree hear now them dy suffer inside body dy carry smile for face them go hear am
Is this period an eye opener? Only time will tell.
Now our curses on the so called evil leaders are working gradually
This our God ehn. I fear am oh. I stand in awe of him.
That would be expected as we are all locked down together here. The medical tourists are exploring the hitherto forgotten and neglected local medical tourism centers.
Loll only India ?
They were using Agnes Nwa Mama to treat themselves? Must they show their locality everywhere they go?🙆🏿♀️
Now they have to treat their citizens
This is what happens when God put everyone at same level
Too bad