Medical tourism: Adewole warns of foreign hospitals stealing kidneys

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As many Nigerians continue to travel abroad for medical treatment, the ministry of health has raised the alarm about rising cases of illegal organ harvesting by some foreign hospitals.

The minister of health, Prof. Isaac Adewole brought the development to public consciousness in a letter he addressed to the president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Mike Ogirima.

In the letter signed by the director of hospital of hospital services, Dr. Wapada Balami, the minister said Egypt had recently arraigned 41 suspects for illegal organ harvesting and urged the NMA President to ensure that people were informed of the dangers of undergoing surgeries abroad.

The minister stated in the letter with reference number, DHS/387/1/12, that some of the private hospitals which have been indicted in Egypt include Dar al-Shefa in Helwan Cairo; Al-Bashar Specialist Hospital in Faisal Giza; Al-Amal Centre for General Surgery in Mauritenya Giza and Dar Ibn Al-Nafis Hospital, Giza.

The letter, titled, ‘Re: 41 suspected illegal human kidney traffickers on trial in Egypt, dated October 11, 2017, read: “I am directed to inform you of the above subject matter and to inform you that information reaching the Presidency revealed that there is an increase in illegal harvesting and transplanting of human organs.

“Presently, Egypt’s prosecutor-general arraigned 41 suspected human kidney traffickers. The prosecutor’s office gave the names of the complicit private hospitals located in Giza, Cairo, Egypt as follows: Dar al-Shefa in Helwan Cairo; Al-Bashar Specialist Hospital in Faisal Giza; Al-Amal Centre for General Surgery in Mauritenya Giza and Dar Ibn Al-Nafis Hospital, Giza.

“Kindly note and disseminate this information to doctors in the relevant specialties to be aware so that Nigerians will be circumspect while embarking on medical tourism in other countries.”

“Kindly note and disseminate this information to doctors in the relevant specialties to be aware so that Nigerians will be circumspect while embarking on medical tourism in other countries. Please act accordingly…,”

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