Published Paper Details:

Nigerians are known to contribute greatly across various disciplines and continents in the globe with prominent contributions in the provision of skilled healthcare services in the United Kingdom and United States of America. Despite this exploit abroad, the medical industry in Nigeria which was at the transition stage is currently becoming comatose and therefore needs immediate transformation to meet up with the rising population who struggle to access quality healthcare services in the nation. This review provides pertinent information on medical industrialization with emphasis on the successes made, challenges encountered, and solutions needed to improve various specialties in nephrology, cardiology and surgery in the area of renal replacement therapy, open heart surgery, organ transplant, myomectomy, hip and knee replacement and plastic surgery in Nigeria. A review of several articles was done, and findings articulated into major thematic areas. The review showed various successes which include successful conduct of renal transplant in St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos in 2000 with several government and private renal centres springing up, successful conduct of open heart surgery as far back as 1974 in University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu with new centres also springing up, routine and successful conduct of myomectomy for fibroid in several teaching hospitals and private health centres across the nation. The challenges encountered include the ongoing brain drain, high cost and lack of some modern medicine for management of transplants, lack of state of art medical equipment, high cost of treatment and care for most Nigerians with diverse conditions and a preference for medical care and treatment abroad by the elites. There is urgent need for government to partner with private individuals including the diaspora community and foreign nationals who are willing to invest into healthcare in Nigeria to scale up efforts needed for medical industrialization in the country. The government need to take proactive measures to convert brain drain to brain gain through appropriate policies, stakeholder engagement, incentives and strong marketing of the successes made in the country which is aimed to promote local contents in the country. A strong political will expressed as government adequate investment into health and subsidy of these procedures for indigent Nigerians will help to bring about the desired medical industrialization in the country.