Legal Challenges of Medical Tourism in Nigeria

Abstract

The growth in the popularity of medical tourism has captured the attention of policy-makers, 
researchers and the media. In particular, Nigeria is experiencing a boom in medical tourism, with over 
$1 billion spent annually on the sector by elites and non-elites alike. The lack of trust in the nation's 
healthcare systems to handle sophisticated medical operations, corruption, insufficient financial 
allocation to the health sector, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure brought on by economic 
issues have all contributed to this trend. Drawing from doctrinal research, this article examines the 
medical tourism trend in Nigeria and the related medical, legal, and societal difficulties in medical 
tourism generally. The study found that while medical tourism is not intrinsically dangerous, the state 
of power and the economy may impact the standard of institutions where patients receive care. In 
situations where patients receive subpar care in foreign hospitals, justice may also be decided by this 
unequal power and economic standing. It was therefore recommended that the Nigerian government 
should enhance the nation's healthcare infrastructure to stop the trend of medical tourism and lessen 
the financial strain that it places on regular Nigerians who require advanced medical care but cannot 
get it domestically. It is also advised that the Nigerian government establish a regulatory framework 
that guarantees protection from poor hospitals and justice for Nigerians who receive poor treatment 
overseas. The public should continue to be made aware of the potential difficulties connected with 
certain medical operations sought outside of Nigeria, particularly cosmetic surgery, which may provide 
follow-up challenges, by relevant health stakeholders.