Buhari Has to End His Foreign Medicals

President Buhari is expected back in the country early next week after 15-day medicals in the United Kingdom. His family also runs abroad for medicals. After almost five years in power, our President is yet to raise any medical facility in the country to the standard capable of meeting his medical needs and that of his family. If our President can raise the standard of the National Hospital, Abuja, to the level of the one he attends in the United Kingdom, then, many ordinary Nigerians will benefit. Unfortunately, this has not been done.

I am always horrified each time Buhari runs to a British hospital. I guess his supporters will argue that there is no law stopping him from doing this. The burden on him is more of a moral one, considering that he had doggedly preached that we should always look inwards for our needs. My foremost issue with our dear president is that he is spending public money abroad for his medicals. Only God knows how much of public fund is going down for his foreign medicals.

Since Buhari himself had clearly stated that taxpayers’ money would not be used to pay for foreign medicals of public servants, I demand that he should make refunds as soon as he returns to the country. As a reminder, Buhari announced in April 2016 that his administration would no longer provide allowances for medical trips by government officials, unless the case can’t be handled in Nigeria. He stated this at the opening ceremony of the 56th Annual General Conference Meeting of the Nigeria Medical Association in Sokoto. The President, who was represented by the then Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said: “The government would not encourage medical tourism with the nation’s resources. While this administration will not deny anyone of his or her fundamental human rights, we will certainly not encourage expending Nigerian hard-earned resources on any government official seeking medical care abroad, when such can be handled in Nigeria.”

Back in April, Buhari was curiously lamenting Nigeria’s loss of over N400 billion, yearly to medical tourism. The man, who has a responsibility to address the irregularity, is lamenting. So, who will address the problem? If Buhari (the President) is helpless on access to health care, then, who has the power to help Nigeria?

We have not been told what Buhari’s health challenge is, but with focused investment in equipment and manpower by a forwardlooking government, I doubt if there is any health challenge that can’t be handled in this country.