Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, has announced the Federal Government’s plan to send medical personnel abroad for training in specific specialties to address medical tourism and bolster research efforts.
Speaking at the investiture ceremony of Dr. Peter Ebeigbe as the 23rd President of the National Postgraduate Medical College, Ijanikin, Lagos State, Alausa revealed that the Federal Ministry of Health is collaborating with the college towards this initiative.
Dr. Peter Ebeigbe, elected as president during the 131st statutory meeting of the college’s governing board, is expected to lead for the next two years. In his speech, Alausa emphasized the ministry’s commitment to developing new curricula to tackle challenges in the health sector.
Alausa stated, “The new curriculum being developed includes interventional cardiology, interventional radiology, pain medicine, critical care medicine, hospice and palliative medicine, and robotic surgery. The Federal Ministry of Health is putting mechanisms in place to fund this training abroad for selected candidates who will be bonded.”
Addressing the issue of brain drain in the medical profession, Ebeigbe highlighted the economic challenges faced by medical professionals in Nigeria compared to their counterparts in the Middle East. He called for urgent economic intervention to prevent further migration of medical professionals.
Ebeigbe remarked, “The root cause of brain drain is economic, and economic intervention is currently needed to stem the worsening cascade and prevent a collapse of the health system.”
The move to send medical personnel abroad for specialized training reflects the government’s efforts to enhance healthcare delivery, reduce reliance on foreign medical services, and promote indigenous research and expertise in the medical field.
