A Consultant Neurologist at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Dr Temitope Farombi, has said Nigerian doctors practising abroad can support the country’s healthcare system through virtual consultations and professional collaboration without necessarily returning home.

Farombi, who is also the founder of Brain Centre for Neurocritical and Rehabilitation Services, therefore called for a government-backed digital health platform that would connect Nigerian healthcare professionals in the diaspora with patients and healthcare workers in the country.

She made the call in an interview with journalists in Ibadan on the state of Nigeria’s healthcare system.

According to her, the initiative would enable doctors abroad to contribute their expertise to Nigeria’s healthcare delivery through technology while reducing some of the challenges associated with the migration of medical professionals.

“A government-backed digital health platform could enable doctors abroad to provide virtual consultations and support to healthcare workers and patients in Nigeria without necessarily returning physically,” she said.

Farombi explained that such a platform could create opportunities for specialists in the diaspora to provide expert guidance on complex cases, support local healthcare practitioners and improve access to specialist care.

She also advocated the expansion of telemedicine to bridge the gap between rural healthcare centres and specialist facilities in urban areas.

The neurologist said patients in undeserved communities often face the challenge of travelling long distances to access specialists, noting that digital healthcare could reduce such barriers.

“A government-backed digital health platform could enable doctors abroad to provide virtual consultations and support to healthcare workers and patients in Nigeria without necessarily returning physically,” she reiterated.

She, however, said technology alone could not resolve the challenges confronting the healthcare sector, stressing the need for broader reforms in healthcare financing, infrastructure, regulation and professional standards.

Farombi described Nigeria’s healthcare system as “highly fragmented”, lamenting the weak connection between primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities.

“The healthcare system in Nigeria is highly fragmented. What happens in the primary care centre is not known to what happens in the secondary care, as well as what happens in the tertiary care,” she said.

She also called for improved monitoring and enforcement of healthcare policies and guidelines, saying the country had policies but often lacked adequate mechanisms to ensure their implementation.

The neurologist urged the government to improve working conditions, increase funding and equip hospitals with modern facilities to make the healthcare environment more attractive to medical professionals.

She said such measures would also help address the continued migration of healthcare professionals and create conditions that could encourage some Nigerian doctors abroad to return home.

Farombi stressed that diaspora engagement should therefore complement, rather than replace, efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s domestic healthcare system.

She called for deliberate investment in digital health infrastructure and stronger coordination among healthcare institutions to ensure that technology was effectively deployed to improve access to quality specialist care.

The neurologist also urged governments at all levels to integrate brain health into public policies, describing it as an important component of Nigeria’s human capital development and economic growth.