The Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria (SOGHIN) has expressed concern over the non-availability of liver transplantation services in the country and lamented that Nigerians still pay exorbitant fees to get the service outside the country.
This was contained in a statement by the SOGHIN president, Prof. Abiodun Otegbayo and made available to journalists today (July 25, 2022) in Abuja.
He called for urgent intervention from the Federal Government to curb the worrisome trend to halt the exodus of highly skilled health professionals, including gastroenterologists and endoscopy nurses, as well as trainees in the field of hepatology.
Otegbayo observed with dismay the dwindling funding for the diagnosis, treatment and research on viral hepatitis in the country by all tiers of government.
According to him, in a just-concluded, five-day scientific conference themed “Burden and Challenges of Managing Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders” in Kano State, experts resolved that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and all public health authorities continue to monitor the trend of COVID-19 cases in the country.
He, however, called on the government to expedite action on the proposal for the production of COVID-19 vaccines in the country.
