FG urges biomedical engineers, technologists to advance health sector

THE Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbbonnaya Onu has urged the Association of Biomedical Engineers and Technologists of Nigeria (NABET) to deepen effort toward making Nigeria health tourism destination.

Mr AbdulGaniyu Aminu, the Head of Press and Public Relations Unit in the ministry, quoted Onu as making the call in a statement on Thursday when he received the executives of the association in Abuja.

Onu said that such effort would turn Nigeria to a place where people from other parts of the world would come for patronage.
He expressed dismay at the rate at which Nigerians travel abroad in search of healthcare delivery when Nigeria had what it took to take care of their ailments.

According to him, Nigeria is endowed with enough biomedical resources and personnel that can make the country a health tourism destination capable of attracting patronage from all over the world.

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Earlier, Mr Prince Mbah, the president of the association, who led the team, told the minister that the association was able to attend the meeting of the World Biomedical Association held in Prague, Czech Republic recently.

He said that the meeting looked at some issues affecting the biomedical engineering profession in Africa such as networking, education, research and innovation and biomedical health care.

NABET was established in 2013 as an advocate of interdisciplinary scientific and professional biomedical engineering and technology activities within Nigeria between the broad disciplines of biology, medicine and engineering in addition to allied subjects.

In line with this, it defines biomedical engineering as a discipline that advances knowledge in engineering, biology and medicine and improves human health through cross-disciplinary activities that integrate the engineering sciences with the biomedical science and clinical practice.

The role of NABET in developing biomedical engineering and technology in Nigeria is mainly as a membership group to give its members a sense of belonging by becoming their mouthpiece in biomedical engineering and technology professional practice in Nigeria.