Buhari’s foreign medical trip calls for upgrade of Nigeria’s healthcare CSO

Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, Chairman, Partner for Electoral Reform, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), said President Muhammadu Buhari’s foreign medical vacation was an indication of Nigeria’s poor healthcare situation.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the nation’s medical facilities needed urgent and comprehensive upgrade, saying that was the only way to check outward medical tourism.

Buhari left Nigeria on Jan. 19 on foreign “medical vacation” for 10 days but returned after 49 days. He travelled again to London on Sunday for an indefinite period of “medical follow-up”.

Nwagwu said that while it was good that the president had done the needful by taking care of his health, it was sad that he had to travel abroad to receive medical attention.

“We wrote a letter to the president seeking that he did the needful by taking care of his health.”

“It is a good thing that he heeded our advice and has gone to take care of himself, but it is, however, a sad one on our medical facility in the country.”

“This shows that our medical facility is not good enough to take care of our president. So, there is need for an upgrade.”

“This is because it is not good that the president of the country will have to leave the country to access medical care. It is not done,” he said.

According to him, it is hardly heard that a president of a country will have to travel out for medical care. Presidents of the U.S., India and others never do so.

Nwagwu, therefore, urged the Federal Government to resuscitate the health sector to meet the standards often sought abroad by Nigerians.

He said that aside saving the lives of citizens, it would open the window for medical tourism in the country.

Source: NAN