Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has stated that the construction of a VIP clinic in the Presidential Villa will greatly halt the urge for medical tourism abroad, especially for the incoming administration.
She made the statement on Friday in Abuja while inaugurating the N21 billion Presidential Wing of the State House Medical Centre.
According to her, she was the brain behind a new medical facility within the Presidential Wing, having mulled over it since 2017 after her husband’s extensive stay in London for medical reasons.
SAHEL recalls that in 2017, President Buhari spent 104 days in a London hospital accessing medical care.
She avowed that with the facility commissioned, presidents and their immediate family members may only need to fly medical experts over to Abuja to assist their colleagues, rather than going on expensive trips.
Her words: “I’m quite happy, feeling fulfilled. Though we are leaving but all the same, we thank God the project finally came to reality.
“I did opt for it six years ago. I initiated it six years ago when my husband spent three months abroad, consecutively for 90 days.”
She also added: “The hospital that is supposed to serve the First Family is serving like 35,000 people, which is quite much. That’s why I insisted we should have a VIP wing within the proximity of the presidential villa.”
Asked about her opinion on whether it will be unnecessary for Nigerian leaders to receive treatment abroad since the new health facility has been commissioned, she responded, saying: “Yes, this one is for the health and wellness of the First Family. They don’t need to go abroad now. They only need to maybe fly in experts to help our people. There would be no need for any leader to spend months and months abroad all because of healthcare.”
SAHEL recalls that the new medical centre was built at a cost of N21 billion. Prior to this, the first families and staff of the State House accessed health facilities outside the villa.
(Source: Daily Post)
