Department of Sociology, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria.
Pan Afr Med J. 2023 Jul 31;45:145. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2023.45.145.41104. eCollection 2023.
Medical tourism is thriving in Nigeria among both elites and non-elites with over $1 billion annual expenditure on medical tourism. Inadequate healthcare infrastructure caused by economic problems, corruption and low budgetary allocation to the country's health sector, and lack of trust in the country's healthcare systems to handle complex medical procedures have contributed to this trend. This article discusses the trend of medical tourism in Nigeria and the associated medical, legal, and social issues in medical tourism generally, relying on relevant literature. The paper concludes that medical tourism is not inherently dangerous; however, unequal economic and power status may influence the quality of hospitals where patients receive treatment and the quality of treatment received. This unequal power and economic status may also determine justice in cases of substandard treatment in foreign hospitals. The study recommends that the Nigerian government should improve healthcare systems in the country to reverse the trend of medical tourism and to reduce the financial burden that medical tourism exerts on average Nigerians who need a high level of care but cannot access it in their country. It is also recommended that a regulatory framework that ensures protection from substandard hospitals and justice for Nigerians who fall victim to substandard care abroad must be put in place by the Nigerian government. Relevant health stakeholders should also continue to sensitize the public about the complications that may be associated with some medical procedures sought outside Nigeria especially cosmetic surgery which may result in follow-up challenges.
医疗旅游在尼日利亚的精英和非精英中蓬勃发展，每年的医疗旅游支出超过 10 亿美元。由于经济问题、腐败和对国家卫生部门预算分配低，以及对本国医疗体系处理复杂医疗程序的缺乏信任，导致医疗基础设施不足，促成了这一趋势。本文讨论了尼日利亚医疗旅游的趋势以及医疗旅游中普遍存在的相关医疗、法律和社会问题，主要依据相关文献。本文得出结论，医疗旅游本身并不危险；然而，不平等的经济和权力地位可能会影响患者接受治疗的医院的质量和所接受治疗的质量。这种不平等的权力和经济地位也可能决定在国外医院治疗标准不达标的情况下是否能伸张正义。该研究建议尼日利亚政府应改善本国的医疗保健系统，以扭转医疗旅游的趋势，并减轻医疗旅游给那些需要高水平护理但在本国无法获得护理的普通尼日利亚人带来的经济负担。政府还应建立一个监管框架，确保保护那些在国外因治疗标准不达标而受害的尼日利亚人，并伸张正义。相关卫生利益攸关方还应继续向公众宣传在尼日利亚境外寻求某些医疗程序（特别是整容手术）可能带来的并发症，因为这些手术可能会带来后续的挑战。
