By Jet Stanley Madu
The Federal Ministry of Health will organise the first heath exhibition in Nigeria this month. The health fair, which is a public private partnership (PPP) initiative, tagged, “Nigerian Hospitals Exhibition and Fair 2017,” is in collaboration with LinkGate Corporate Resources Limited. It is scheduled to hold across the six geopolitical zones in the federation.
The exhibition, it was revealed, is aimed at reducing medical tourism for which Nigeria is said to spend over $1bn annually. The expo was also designed to serve as a converging point for all health care providers –public and private, indigenous drug manufacturers, NGOs and all stakeholders in Nigeria health sector.
In a statement, Director, Media and Public Relations, Mrs. Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Boade Akinola, disclosed that the exhibition is expected to assemble an array of hospitals, other health care providers and health care equipment manufacturers from the public and private sector across the country.
Head, Public-Private-Partnership Unit of the Health Ministry, Dr. Omobolanle Olowu, said the exhibition was sequel to the agreement reached by the public and private health care institutions in Nigeria to henceforth, facilitate treatment of all ailments and diseases locally.
He explained that the exhibition was borne out of government’s determination to have a database of all available medical treatments, viz-a-viz medical equipment in hospitals within the country, in order to make sustainable plans to meeting, identified inadequacies.
Olowu further disclosed that the exhibition, which seeks to showcase the numerous medical services obtainable in Nigeria, would underscore the need to patronise made-in-Nigeria products, adding that the fair would help boost citizen’s confidence Nigeria’s health care system.
Also speaking, representative of the partnering firm, Mr. Oyewole Fakoya, pointed out that the medical exhibition, which is a PPP effort, would curb medical tourism, stem brain drain and conserve foreign exchange.
He further stated that the venture was an advocacy programme tailored towards charting the way forward for upgrading to global standards, health care services, equipment and professionals in Nigeria’s health sector.
Both parties enjoined all health care providers, both public and private in Nigeria, to avail themselves the opportunity to participate.
Fakoya indicated that LinkGate Corporate Resources Limited seeks to further collaborate with the Health Ministry to solicit for the promulgation of an enabling Law that promotes the establishment of world class indigenous hospitals and health care services and would prohibit medical tourism.
He disclosed that the exhibition was expected to be declared open by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, with Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, as chief host.