Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, his Enugu State counterpart, Peter Mbah, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa; his counterpart at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, have called on Nigerian foreign-based doctors to consider deploying their skills and expertise to boost the health sector to stop medical tourism.

They made the call in their separate speeches at the commissioning of Block C, the first of six blocks of the students’ hostel building project of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI).

The building was donated by a member of the 1985 Alumni set of the College, Dr. Philip Ozuah.

Ozuah, a physician, educator and healthcare executive, is serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Montefiore Medicine, the umbrella organisation for Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, the United States (U.S.)

Speakers at the event lauded Ozuah’s generosity and encouraged other Nigerians in the diaspora to emulate his example.

They pointed out that many experts are keying into the idea of giving back to society through their expertise and medical profession, the signatories promised relevant support to ensure that willing Nigerians in Diaspora play good roles to help improve the health sector.

Makinde and Mbah were represented at the event by their deputies, Bayo Lawal and Ifeanyi Ossai, respectively.

The governors urged other Diasporans to emulate and contribute to the upliftment of humanity, saying that institutions all over the world live on the strength of the benevolence and generosity of their alumni, urging for increased support.

Lawal emphasised the need for stakeholders to work together to expand facilities and train more medical professionals.

Ossai, on his part, while commending Dr. Ozuah for his philanthropic gesture, said the state governments are ready to partner with NIDCOM in encouraging other Nigerians in the diaspora to follow suit in a bid to improve the medical and health sector while also tackling the japa menace among health practitioners.

In his remarks, Minister for Education, Dr. Tunji Maruf Alausa, described the Philip Ozuah Hostel as a symbol of unwavering commitment to the growth of Nigeria’s healthcare system and a powerful testament to the enduring values of philanthropy, patriotism, and service to humanity. (The Guardian)