Hi everyone,
I will appreciate any information on private or public organisations in Nigeria that specialise in healthcare consulting/management services. I have checked it up on the internet to no avail. I am currently studying an MBA (healthcare management) in the UK, I also have a masters degree in public health also from a UK university. My undergraduate degree is medicine and surgery i.e. I am a doctor (trained in Nigeria). My work background is in healthcare delivery and management.
I really want to return home after my degree programme, to work in strengthening Nigeria's healthcare services in both public and private sectors. To achieve this I would like to work with a reputable Nigeria based organisation that specializes in this area.
Please guys, if any one has any helpful information, I will be immensely grateful

Hygeia HMO

There's Hygeia HMO. There are many others, like UNIC Health, RedCare, ExpatCare, Total Health Trust, HealthFix, etc.
Try googling up those names, you might find out more about them online.

Thanks for the reply. As for the companies you guys mentioned, don't they specialise more in health insurance? I know about these companies (had some of them as clients when I worked back in Nigeria). I have not considered a career in health insurance, thou as I understand it can be quite stimulating. For now, I want to focus on healthcare consulting or management services. Maybe these HMOs also specialise in these areas, I don't know; if anyone provides more information about the range of services provided by these companies, I would be glad (so far, all I can dig up on them is their role in health insurance)
I am still looking forward to more replies, and once again thanks for the comments.

^^
Try these guys:

http://jobs-msh.icims.com/

Thanks Ajanlekoko, I know about MSH, it is one of the top ten companies I would like to work in, I was supposed to do an internship with them, but they did not have any suitable programs that matched my business project idea, still planning to apply when I am done with my degree thou.
you seem quite knowledgeable, and thou I don't want to sound greedy, I would really appreciate more comments
Thanks once again

Hey guys, i have subscribed to this topic. I am seriously interested in this, please, if i'm not asking for too much, bm10aso, can i PM you? if you're not comfortable, here's my e-mail,                    hopes _ 2020 @ yahoo.com. I just thought you might be able to open my mind on a lot of things pertaining to healthcare Mgt services. I did that in school, so i'm extremely interested. Thanks!!!

no need for PM, u can discuss it all here

I am really interesting in this thread. I am planning of opening a Group Health company in Nigeria very soon, and would need highly driven and motivated Healthcare Managers, Consultants and Administrators.
Let's discuss more!

You can start ur own health care company.

Of course they abound.

I am a medic with an MPH degree and I am based in the UK. I am interested in this thread. Planning to do an MBA next year.
Nigeria seems to be the best place to maximise potentials.

You could try MTN Foundation, GE Healthcare, or some of the oil and gas companies that have operations in community healthcare. Otherwise, look for WHO or UNDP or other international donor agencies that fund such initiatives in Nigeria.

Otherwise, like someone said, start something on your own (probably an NGO) and get funding from either of these bodies

@ dae, if it is ok with u, I think we should leave the comments open, so that everyone can benefit.
@ laalamed, I quite agree with u on starting my own company, however as the saying goes " u must first learn to walk, before u can learn to run, " that said, I still hope to start my own company sometime in the future.
@ saokea, it is good u are planning to do an mba, may I suggest Wharton business school, it is in the USA. It has a fantastic MBA healthcare management programme. I myself did not attend it, thou I am planning to do a PHD in it in the near future. The MBA programme is pricey (u may research other financing options like scholarships), however if u have the funds, and want one of the best, I suggest u try the school.
@ sagewood, it is good u are planning to start ur own company. Healthcare management in Nigeria, and the rest of Africa hasn't been fully explored. We unfortunately tend to focus more on health program management, plus many hospitals in Nigeria tend to wing it when it comes to management. I wish u all the best in your endeavour.

May I also suggest we start a healthcare management stream in this forum; to discuss issues we experience as patients, and providers of health in Nigeria. Participators need not necessarily be researchers, and top tier managers, anybody who is interested in seeing healthcare provision in Nigeria improve can participate. This is just a thought guys, looking forward to suggestions.

what is healthcare consulting / management ? what do they do ?

@bm10aso, I am based and working in the UK as a medic. Would prefer to work and enroll for the Executive MBA. Doing a full time MBA may be a suicide mission for me. I have got a few schools in the UK. Still going through their accreditation profiles and looking at the best value for money.
@buzugee, I will summarise Healthcare consultants/ consulting firms as people or firms who give advice or provide solutions to healthcare firms.

Doctors take care if patients and healthcare managers take care of the 'service' the hospital provide

In Nigeria for example the doctors/nurse probably does everything from ordering supplies, recruiting, health informatics, measuring customer satisfaction or respond to customer complaint (this bit is a joke by the way)

So Healthcare management is that on a Larger scale- think of those managers in the NHS

Personally to me, doctors with some managerial functions should have a good knowledge of management and business skills. Placing a person with little or no medical knowledge to manage or head a healthcare firm is not appropriate on its own. It is similar to saying a non medic manager should be a medical director or a minister of health.
Doctors now want to take proper responsibility/management of healthcare institutions, hence the desire for MBAs.

@ buzugee, healthcare consulting is the process of providing business, technical and managerial advise to health service organisations (providers of health related activities). It is important to note that healthcare is not just about the doctor-patient relationship. It is also a business, and like all businesses, needs to function in a manner favourable to the shareholders, staff and patients. A healthcare consultant can help in developing business ideas for the Health service organisation (HSO). He/she can also help the HSO develop among others, strategic management plans, operational management plans, human resources capability building plans, financial services plans, the list goes on and on.
Many HSOs make use of consultants (in the USA, they have a strong presence and appeal). They use them to help gain some favourable competitive advantage over other HSOs, or, simply to help improve on their services. You can get some more information on the internet.

As for management services, they function by providing contracted managerial support to HSOs.

To me, the major appeal factor in these two pursuits, is the need to always be abreast of current thinking and knowledge. I would liken this scenario to the Japanese word "Kaizen" meaning "continuous improvement". What this means is that to function in these capacities effectively, you must always plunge into the learning stream, because your clients will always demand your best. There is no fixed approach to how you support your client, as every situation and client is unique. You need to always be on top of your game. That said, it may be quite demanding, but, it is quite fulfilling, plus there is never a dull moment, as you work on different projects, thus, you are constantly stimulated.

I hope my comments helped throw more light on this area?

Yes nothing wrong with that, most healthcare managers just like public health consultants have medical background or training

Just that hospitals in developing countries have one man that does everything, instead of employing others to take care of the ordering of papers and chasing contractors, Nigeria does not have enough doctors as it is, but in some cases you doctors chasing contracts instead of treating patients!

@saokea, all the best in your MBA pursuits. I quite agree with your comment that doctors and other medics understand health needs better than "outsiders", however getting many medical personnel to think broader can be a bit of a challenge. There are however exceptions, people like yourself are now pursuing managerial led endeavours. This should be encouraged, especially in the context of Nigeria.

Nice one bm10aso! I'm also in the UK and work in the health sector. Not a medic though, work in the Management side of things; quality assurance <clinical governance> and HR, It would be nice if we (you, saokea, me and other interested persons) in the UK can come together to work out how we can impact the healthcare sector in Nigeria. I'm open to discussions and meeting up in a central place,

@Saokea, have you checked University of Birmingham? They've got MSc in Health Services Management and the University's ranking is quite good, worth checking out!

HMOs only started offering health insurance in Nigeria a few years ago. The Nigerian healthcare system has not advanced to the point where they'd appreciate a consulting service. What kind of healthcare consulting is needed in Nigeria A health-system structure has to be in place before any consulting is needed.
On the other hand I'm sure KPMG and co, will have some opportunities for healthcare consulting.

If you have good "connection"' you can start your own firm as some people have done in Abuja. A few firms are already doing this but i cant remember their names. However you may need to know the Head of HR in some govt parastatals and companies to push your request for engagement as their health consultant so you can have a good starting point to boost your company profile. Currently, it means you are involved in health talks/seminars, vaccination of staff against preventable diseases and medical checkups. Nice and profitable job if corruption is out of it. Wish u da best!

Very Nice Thread.
You guys should check out www.aesculapiusvn.com. You may find some info you want there

Why not try to work in the UK before you return? What you're likely to find is that companies doing real Healthcare Consulting in Nigeria are companies like MSH, GE Healthcare etc with no permanent base in Nigeria but who are likely to come into Nigeria temporarily to execute projects mainly from WHO, UNESCO, UN, Federal and State Governments and for a small number of private firms. You are also likely to find Accenture and the big 4 accounting firms competing for a small number of projects if the scope of work falls within their areas of competence. I think you can look for opportunities in this companies. Accenture and the big 4 are likely to take you on as a 'General consultant' and not a 'Healthcare Consultant' and deploy you based on what job is available which might not necessarily be in healthcare.

If you must work as a Healthcare consultant and you can't get GE, MSC, Siemens, etc, then you might need to start your own company and you need relevant work experience to do that effectively. If you're able to start your company, the market in Nigeria is virgin - I should know because I ran a consulting company in that sector briefly before leaving Nigeria. I also worked in the sector outside Nigeria briefly and observed what could be done in Nigeria differently.

The biggest spenders in Nigeria are the Governments followed by the UN affiliates and then a few Hospital chains and your project references will go a long way.

Hi,
I am a pharmacy manger here in Uk in one of the multiple chain pharmacies. we could get together here in Uk and discuss things . This is an excellent idea. I am interested in this affair. Keep it coming.

I'm a very interested medic in the UK, so have bookmarked this post.

@ pluto04, nice suggestions. As far working in the UK, recent government cuts has seen the closure of many health consulting firms (I have discussed with a couple of them), because of poor patronage from the NHS. My research showed that opportunities in consulting abounds more in the states, which has a strong mix of private and public providers, unfortunately when I communicated with these companies, many of them though interested said that they can not sponsor work Visas, as they are required by law to ensure that the position being advertised must be filled by Americans or resident in the country with permission to work, only when this is not achievable, then can they recruit internationally (really sucks). That said, my main interest really is in consulting services focussed on African Health systems. During my degree program in International Public Health, I realised that many opportunities abound in Africa (I did some research in an East African country). As for working in the big consulting firms, I would say I am not quite interested; I prefer smaller, growing firms, that will give me the range of opportunities and challenges I desire. As for starting my own company, this is my ultimate goal, but as I told one of the members in this forum, "one must learn to walk, before they can learn to run"

@ Double-en, I do not quite agree with u that a health system is not in place in Nigeria. A health system consists of a range of providers of health centrally or dis-centrally controlled and coordinated. Nigeria operates a health system where different government (federal, state and local government), private for profit, and private non-for profit exist. The federal ministry of health provides strategic guidance, advise and coordination (not necessarily control) of these different providers. As for the consulting in Nigeria, the major challenge will be to show them what they stand to gain (a kind of now and after effect) from utilizing ur expertise. A very attractive prospect in Healthcare in Nigeria is mergers and acquisitions, more than 1000 health facilities exist currently in the country (population >140 million), If an acquiring firm can gain a foot hold here, I believer there is also profit to be made.

@ femain a, thanks for the link, I checked out the company, will get back on what I think

for those in the UK wishing to meet to discuss prospects in this area, I should be fully available in September 2011. I am currently neck deep in my business project which is looking at staffing strategies for health facilities in Nigeria (I might be away for a while gathering primary data). Meanwhile, we can use this forum to continue communicating.

I do appreciate all the comments guys.

bm10aso:

Hi everyone,
I will appreciate any information on private or public organisations in Nigeria that specialise in healthcare consulting/management services. I have checked it up on the internet to no avail. I am currently studying an MBA (healthcare management) in the UK, I also have a masters degree in public health also from a UK university. My undergraduate degree is medicine and surgery i.e. I am a doctor (trained in Nigeria). My work background is in healthcare delivery and management.
I really want to return home after my degree programme, to work in strengthening Nigeria's healthcare services in both public and private sectors. To achieve this I would like to work with a reputable Nigeria based organisation  that specializes in this area.
Please guys, if any one has any helpful information, I will be immensely grateful 

Personally, i think the market for health consulting is still in its infancy. This means there is a whole vista of opportunity, but on the other hand, there are so many challenges too. Why?
Like someone mentioned here, most of the private organizations (private hospitals and co) are either too small or too frigging miserly to hire consulting firms, and u'll need to do quite some work to convince them. There are only a few large ones like the big ones in Lagos- Lagoon, Eko, St Nicholas, Reddington who i guess have the financial muscle to hire consultants.
The organizations that can afford them are either government agencies or international NGOs and that will still need some good marketing too.

As a result, health consulting companies are not yet well developed in Nigeria unlike abroad.  If they do exist, they would likely be a few quiet small companies quietly servicing the few clients they can get, making them quite hard to find. Even I myself, though a practicing medical doctor in Lagos somewhat interested in health management, dont think i know of any one i can name offhand.

Most people, (doctors inclusive), dont understand what d concept of health consulting is all about, outside of "health talks, public health checks, vaccinations"  and the now familiar health insurance(Hmos). Even I, do not fully grasp the whole extent of the field yet.

However, if you can elaborate on what exactly you are looking for (cut out the big grammar), maybe i can help you make a few enquiries,

I also believe that wherever there's 'virgin' land, there's always a lot of opportunity, if it can be properly tapped.

saokea:

I am a medic with an MPH degree and I am based in the UK. I am interested in this thread. Planning to do an MBA next year.
Nigeria seems to be the best place to maximise potentials.

Don't bother with an MBA. It's a waste of time and money. You're good with an MPH.