Efforts by the federal government to curtail capital flights from the country in form of medical tourism received a boost Wednesday, as the only Indian specialist hospital in Nigeria, Primus International Super Specialty Hospital announced a downward review of all its medical charges to 30 percent, including offer of free consultancy in the month of November.

According to the management of the hospital, the decision to crash the hospital fees is part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to open its services and state of the art equipments to Nigerian patients, majority of whom could not afford to go abroad.

The move is seen as a strategic measure to halt foreign medical tourism by Nigerian patients who travel abroad for treatment, which is believed to cost the nation a whopping $300 million to $400 million in foreign exchange per annum.

The hospital’s Public Relations Officer, (PRO) Alhaji Umaru Jibia, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, said the hospital, in addition to providing free consultation to patients in the area of joint replacement, spine problem, internal medicine, diabetes, ENT, gynecology, neuro surgery, dental, ophthalmology and general surgery, was also reducing the cost of medical treatment to help low income earners in the country.

He added: “MRI charges will be from N50, 000 onwards, while CT scan will be from N25, 000 onwards. Radiology, laboratory services will cost 30 per cent less, while Pharmacy drugs will cost 20 per cent less. The surgical procedures are at very reasonable charges during the camp period.”

The reduction of hospital prices came at a time the government was working for a workable framework that would put a stop to the increasing cases of capital flights due to frequent medical overseas trips by Nigerians.

Since its establishment in Abuja, the hospital had been conducting free camps in the city and its environs, where 23,000 patients have benefited from free consultation and medical other services.

Source: This day Live