Health: India/Nigeria partnership, an expedient move – Olulade

By Lanre Adesanya

Hon. Segun Olulade, member Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Epe constituency II and Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, has intensified  calls for collaboration with Indian based health care givers to improve the health status of Lagosians.

The lawmaker hinted the need, while citing accurate diagnosis as an area where partnership is immediately required.

Olulade made the call while hosting the Principal Consultant High Beam Global (HBG) Medical Assistance, Mr. Varun Aggarwal, who paid him a courtesy visit at Lagos Assembly complex Alausa Ikeja recently.

The two dignitaries discussed widely, on issues bothering on the health sector in Nigeria and Lagos in particular.

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Foremost amongst the scope of discourse, is the need for exchange of Indian’s expertise in addressing Nigeria’s diagnosis challenges and the spiral adverse effect it pose on the nation’s health sector .

The legislator noted that, ” we are passionate about having accurate diagnostic results for better treatment here in Nigeria, given the cost and attendant implication of travelling outside the country for medical attention, we need accurate diagnosis and treatment for whatsoever the ailment might be”.

Varun noted that HBG is ready to establish diagnostic centre in Nigeria, noting that, “if the diagnosis is correct we can send the drugs needed thus saving cost, we can as well facilitate conference call with patient to ascertain their ill health.

“The foreign exchange is also compounding our problem, we want government to look into the cost and see how they can subsidize the Dollar for indigents with health issues, that can be transferred into the hospitals account directly.

He also gave first hand information on the impression expatriates have about the Lagos airport,the extortionist tendencies, which portrays a bad image of the country abroad.