Abstract:

Inbound medical tourism describes a form of medical tourism where patients from other countries travel to the country to receive medical care. This occurs because patients are attracted to the health system in the country. This study seeks to assess the frequency, pattern, and practice of Inbound medical tourism in Tertiary Hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was carried out among 160 Medical Practitioners in Tertiary Hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used in this study, and data was collected using an Interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. The mean age was 45.8 ± 9.2 years. Ninety-two (57.50%) were males, and 68 (42.5%) were females. 84 (52.50%) were Christians, and 76 (47.5%) were Muslims. The majority were married 105 (65.63%), 48 (30.0%) were single, and 23 (14.38%) of the doctors reported receiving foreign referrals. The commonly reported sources of these referrals included Ghana, the UK, the USA and Cameroun [5 (21.74%), 2 (8.70%), 1 (4.35%), and 8 (34.78%) respectively]. Most treatments lasted for 6 months: 13 (56.52%), 8 (34.78%), and only 1 (4.35%) stayed for over 1 year. Routine checkup was the reason for these referrals among 9 (39.13%) of the doctors, while 4 (17.39%) indicated relocation of the patient and post-operative follow-up. However, 18 (78.26%) reported an improvement in their conditions after these treatments. Nigeria can enhance its inbound medical tourism industry, attract more international patients, and establish itself as a reputable healthcare destination.

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