NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Nagged by a sharp back pain three years ago, Abidemi Ogbonna from Lagos, Nigeria, decided to visit a nearby hospital called Apollo. Thinking it was just a minor problem, she was shocked when her physician informed her that she urgently needed a kidney transplant.

The procedure could not be performed locally, her doctor told her. Flying to India was her best chance of a successful operation. Ogbonna’s middle-class family could afford the expenses, and so immediate arrangements were made for her visa.

The Apollo Hospital in Nigeria scheduled a surgery date with its counterpart in India, helped secure Ogbonna’s visa, and booked her flight and accommodation in India. All she needed to do was pay the bill. Once she did, she took the next flight and made the long journey to save her life. She was accompanied by her mother.

Ogbonna’s story is typical of hundreds of Africans who travel outside of their home countries for medical attention.