SAHARANEWS – President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday insisted that Nigerians can no longer afford to be going abroad for medical treatment.
The President, made the declaration at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, during the inauguration and handover of completed projects to the management of the hospital.
“Nigerians have suffered so much going abroad for medical treatment. This is not good for us and it must stop, because we can’t afford it again,” Buhari stated.
Represented by the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonaya Onu, the President lamented the devastating effects of flooding in the South-East geo-political zone, saying the intervention project would bring relief to the hospital, the state and its neighbours.
According to him, citing the project in Ebonyi State showed that an end has come to the era in the country where some parts of the Nigeria were neglected as a result of corruption and favouritism.
He also stressed that the location of the project in major teaching hospitals across the country showed that no part of the country would be neglected again.
He said: “We have paid very serious attention to the health of our people and will continue to do so. The projects you celebrate their completion today were seriously affecting the workings of this teaching hospital. But today, we can say their completion have started helping to improve on the performance and welfare of both the staff and patients of this hospital.
“I wish to use this medium to congratulate the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, and his team in the Ecological Fund Office; the project contractor, Messrs Amayaro Nigeria Limited, as well as the project consultant, Messrs Kanode and Associates Limited, for their commitment to ensuring timely and speedy completion of the project.”
It would be recalled that the President, who had prior to assuming office in 2015, pledged not seek medical attention abroad, had travelled to the United Kingdom for treatment on several occasions.
It is hoped that the President with this declaration, would make good his earlier pledge not to go abroad for medical attention, and in the process pay attention to the nation’s hospitals and medical facilities.