Africa's growing need for medical expertise
Africa is on the rise. The evidence is everywhere. In a 2011 report, the World Bank declared that “Africa could be on the brink of an economic take-off.” The World Health Organization (WHO) 2011 African Regional Health Report revealed that Africa has made significant progress in the battle against many communicable diseases, including river blindness, malaria, leprosy and measles, among others.
And yet just beneath the surface of this happy story is a troubling trend. Even as Africa’s future has brightened in recent years, the continent has seen a dramatic increase in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
Huge opportunities await Indian health investors in Africa
At the just concluded 10th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa project partnership, the High Commissioner of Nigeria, Ndubuisi Amaku, gave an interesting bit of information. He said Nigerians last year spent around $350 million to access healthcare in India.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meet, he said the amount was spent by just about one percent of the Nigerian population who could afford to pay for quality healthcare in India.
Amaku asked Indian entrepreneurs to consider investing in facilities in Nigeria to provide healthcare to patients who may find it difficult to travel to India due to the high airfare and other logistics issues.
KENYA: Can Kenya become a medical tourism destination?
Kenya and especially its capital, Nairobi, is now considered the hub for business and development in Eastern Africa. The country expects one and a half million visitors this year. Some people argue that it can become a local medical tourism hub.
While under funded government hospitals in Kenya, generally offer poor quality care, poorly staffed facilities with overcrowding and limited service provision, private healthcare is an improvement, with small but modern health facilities and better-trained medical staff. However, for any serious operations, many locals and expatriates look outside the country for help; South Africa being the most popular, while some go to India and the ruling elite prefer the UK, USA or Germany.
To develop local hospitals capable of developing medical tourism, a significant investment in state of the art health care technology would be required.
Indian medical firm picks Nairobi for first Africa office
An Indian healthcare firm will next year open its first African office in Nairobi to offer information to the growing number of East Africans seeking medical care in Asian hospitals.
FrontEnders will offer advice and logistics support that will see patients suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer access treatment at top Indian hospitals.
The firm is seeking to tap into the growing medical tourism that has seen India emerge as a favourite destination for patients from Kenya and other Afican countries seeking cost-effective healthcare.
It will earn a fee from Indian hospitals in which local patients will be checked in for treatment.
