Nigeria’s dream of having at least one world class private hospital and diagnostic centre in each of the six geo-political zones of the country before May 29th 2015 is nearing fulfilment.
This is because the health committee inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan last year, to analyse the low private sector involvement in the coumtry’s high-end medical businesses and draw up strategies for improvement of private health entrepreneurship, is on the verge of developing a business model for the sector.
The model, it is said, will encourage private sector collaboration in the nation’s healthcare business.
The committee, headed by Tony Elumelu, chairman, Heirs Holdings, has 19 other members, including doctors, bankers, medical entrepreneurs and persons with experience in public-private partnership.
The brief of the committee is to carry out a critical analysis of the low private sector involvement in high-end medical businesses in Nigeria, and to draw up strategies, including a road map for unlocking private health entrepreneurship in the country. It was also asked to identify and engage potential investors, with a view to guiding them to develop business models and plans for the establishment of world class hospitals and high-end diagnostic centres in Nigeria.
The essence off the committee’s assignment is to see to the delivery of quality private sector led healthcare delivery in the country and to stem the flight of millions of dollars spent on health tourism (particularly to India) by Nigerians every year.
Recently, Osabon Enabulele, president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) disclosed that India earned over $260 million from medical tourism from Nigeria alone in 2012. Enabulele further observed that India is projected in 2013, to realise between $1 billion and $2 billion from the global medical tourism market that is collectively worth over $20 billion.
The NMA President said Nigerians, particularly political office holders, who seek improved medical healthcare abroad, are projected spend over $500 million annually, and that a breakdown of the figure shows that an average Nigerian traveller on a medical tourism spends between $20,000 and $40,000 on a trip.
At the inauguration of the health committee, President Goodluck Jonathan tasked the body to actualise his vision of having at least one world class private hospital, as well as one private high-end diagnostic centre established in each of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria before May 29th 2015.
Tony Elumelu, in an interview with BusinessDay, said the existence of the committee reflects the passion and commitment of health minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu, whose foresight enabled its speedy creation, with high-calibre professionals drawn from the public and private sectors.
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“The committee’s mandate, as delivered by the Honourable Minister for Health, is ambitious; and that is good. Our healthcare sector,and indeed our nation, require bold and decisive action to bring about much needed improvements,” he said, adding that “as we tackle the vital soft issues, we are also working to facilitate the physical establishment of world-class hospitals and diagnostic centers, across the country. It is an ambitious plan – but it is required and we are committed to doing our best to fulfill our mandate. We have created four working groups to address the policy, regulation, finance, and strategic issues around this project.
“Given the current state of healthcare service delivery and the limited access to high-quality services, the committee has developed a holistic approach to drive positive change. For instance, we have been working to have the Bill of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) amended, to ensure universal health insurance coverage for all Nigerians. In six months, the Bill was passed by the House of Representatives and is now awaiting the same at the Senate. In addition, we continue to push for the speedy enactment of a National Health Bill to enable the creation of a robust health system in Nigeria, with appropriate regulation and world-class standards for service provision,” he added.
According to him, the Working Groups are ably headed by renowned experts in their fields, including Andrew Alli, CEO of the Africa Finance Corporation, Adeleke Oshunniyi, Director of the Royal Cross Medical Center, Charles Cudjoe, Chief Medical Director at Chasel Hospital, and Prince Mike Chukwu, Founder and CEO of Assetwise Capital.
BusinessDay learnt that Government, as the initiator and owner, will provide resources which will be complemented by private capital from investors. In this regard, the committee is also enlisting the support of the coordinating minister of the economy and minister of finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and her Economic Management Implementation Team, to facilitate the necessary approvals to aid their work.
