Lara Adejoro A recent report by the Central Bank of Nigeria has revealed that the country spent about $3.82m on foreign healthcare-related services under the sectoral utilisation for transactions valid for foreign exchange from January to December 2023. The PUNCH Healthwise reports that when compared to $9.
06m spent on medical tourism in 2022, there was a reduction of $5.24m in 2023. Our correspondent observed that the amount spent on foreign healthcare-related services in the first half of 2023 (January to June 2023) was more than that spent in the second half of 2023 (July to December 2023).
While the figure for the first half of 2023 was $3.13m, that for the second half of the year was $0.69m.
Meanwhile, when summed up, the whole amount is $3.82m. A breakdown of the report showed that $0.
34m was spent in January; $0.32m in February; $0.38m in March; $0.
50m in April; $1.28m in May; and $0.31m in June.
Also, in July, $0.01m was spent on medical tourism, and the amount jerked up to $0.26m in August, but the figure fell to $0.
02m in September. In October, the amount increased to $0.10m, in November, it dropped to $0.
02m again, and the figure rose to $0.28m at the end of December. Meanwhile, the 2022 spending on medical tourism was $9.
06m. A breakdown of the 2022 spending revealed that $0.74m was spent from January to March 2022.
In April, $3,02 was spent, in May, the figure reduced to $1.00, and there was a further decline in June to $0.42.
In July, the figure rose slightly to.
