• Centenary Committee targets N8bn for medical facilities
The Organising Committee of the Nigerian Centenary Charity Ball yesterday put the estimation of capital flight for medical tourism at N250 billion, this was as the committee planned to use the centenary celebration to generate about N8 billion for medical facilities in the country.
Secretary of the Organising Committee, Dr. Kingsley Esegbue, who briefed journalists on behalf of the committee in Abuja said; “It is estimated that Nigeria spends N250 billion annually on foreign medical care.”
According to him, the capital flight was unnecessary for a developing country like Nigeria.
He explained that the medical problems that cause these medical flights could be handled in Nigeria if the facilities were here. He said: “Sealing a hole in a child’s heart need not cripple the parents financially or take place in India; replacing a damaged kidney should and can be done within our borders.
“Every breast, cervical or prostate cancer patient should have access to quality care within Nigeria “Our neurosurgery units need to serve the Nigerian people; no woman should have her bladder torn giving birth and for victims of cruel acid attacks, re-constructive surgery should be possible within our borders.
“Nigeria is blessed with skilled healthcare professionals. What i required is the infrastructure/technology and perhaps the will.
“Certainly, this is what the Nigerian Centenary Charity Ball hopes to achieve by equipping already existing national referral centers for heart and kidney diseases, neurosurgery, cancer care and management. “This initiative intends to galvanise all Nigerians, including Nigerians in the Diaspora for a common good as our collective gift to Nigeria on this anniversary.
“We will like to emphasise that in organising the Nigerian Charity Ball, we have chosen to be politically blind, because what is at stake is our health as a people.” Asked how much the committee was targeting to assist the medical facilities from the centenary celebration, Esegbue said between N5 billion and N8 billion.
According to him, the funds generated would be managed by a non-governmental and independent trust.
In his contribution as a guest, the Nigeria Union of Journalists Abuja Council Chairman, Comrade Chuks Ehirim, condemned the political class, stating that the amount of money being spent on medical tourism was as a result of lack of patriotism from the political leaders.
Decrying the loss of journalists to kidney or liver failure in the recent time, the NUJ chairman said the Nigerian Centenary Charity Ball Healthcare Projects would solve many problems in the health sector if actualised.
Among those who were guests at the press briefing was the Nollywood Actress, Ms. Ngozi Nwosu, who recently went for a transplant of one of her organs at an Indian hospital.
source: http://www.nationalmirroronline.net / National Mirror / Home> News / by Obiro Ifoh / October 16th, 2013
