Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Founder of Save-A-Life Mission Hospital, Port Harcourt, Dr Richard Okoye, has said Nigeria can reverse its medical tourism trend and improve its poor life expectancy through sustained investment in technology, local healthcare capacity and collaboration with Nigerian medical professionals abroad.
Okoye, a medical scientist, said he chose to remain in Nigeria despite the mass migration of medical professionals, popularly known as “Japa”, and instead invested in building what he described as a world-class, fully digitalised healthcare system.
Speaking during a press conference in Port Harcourt yesterday, he expressed concern that Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio had deteriorated significantly, particularly in rural communities, where access to medical care remains limited.
According to him, the challenge goes beyond the number of doctors leaving the country, adding that the migration also represents a depletion of expertise and quality in the healthcare system.
