By Asmau Ahmad
The Medical Microbiologist of Nigerian Turkish Nizamiye Hospital, Abuja Dr. Akif Guney, has advised Nigerians against travelling abroad for medication, adding that monies spent on such trips could be invested in the country`s economy.
Dr. Guney who gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, said that it was unfortunate that most Nigerians still preferred to travel abroad for medical treatment when they could get the best of such within the country.
“It is better for such Nigerians to keep the money in the country rather than taking it abroad. But unfortunately, great number of Nigerian patients fly to India, United Kingdom and the United States, sometimes to treat very simple illnesses.”
Guney stressed that apart from the Nigerian Turkish Nizamiya Hospital which performs open heart surgery, several other hospitals in Nigeria offer the better of medical services when compared to their counterparts abroad.
He, however, said that the Nigerian Turkish Nizamiya Hospital started open heart surgery in March, this year, adding that though it did not take off immediately for some reasons, it had successfully carried out two surgeries.
He, however, stressed that though the hospital has the best medical facilities in the country its services were affordable when compared to other such hospitals across the world.
He described as untrue, stories in the social media which alleged that the son of a former Aviation Minister, Senator Stella Oduah, died in the hospital following wrong medications.
According to Guney, the Minister`s son was in a bad condition when he was brought to the hospital, stressing that all efforts to resuscitate him proved abortive.
He further explained that because of the bad state of the patient, the hospital could not run any test on him but rather concentrated on resuscitating him during which he died.
