An America-based family medicine specialist, Dr Nosa Aigbe-Lebarty, has called on Nigerians within and outside the country to invest in Nigeria’s health sector.

Mr Aigbe-Lebarty, who is currently building a hospital in a rural community in Edo, made the call in an interview in Benin on Saturday.

He said that a lot needed to be done in the country’s healthcare service delivery system, especially in community health, a practice that reaches out to people in the grassroots.

According to him, a lot hasn’t been done in community health, with several communities where there are no healthcare centres.

“There are communities with health centres but there are no doctors and nurses; It is decapitated and empty,” the expert said. 

He said that the brain drain syndrome should not discourage Nigerians from investing in the country as brains were also being gained into the country.

“We talk about brain drain; it is also good to talk about brain gain. I am coming back, that is a brain gain.

“The one gained is coming back with wealth of experience and knowledge and understanding of what is needed and knowing how and when to get things done.”

He urged prospective investors to look beyond the poor basic infrastructure and take the bold step to invest in the country.

“You have the amenities challenges and the personnel challenges. You cannot solve every challenge, but you try to minimise them.

“There are some you can overcome and those you cannot overcome, you minimise; access to water, electricity is a problem.

“Like for water supply, you talk about having a bore hole system and a diesel driven plant can help for electricity.

“This will affect the way we do things but we need to improvise,” he said.

(NAN)