On Saturday 10th of March 2017, Nigeria woke up to the cheering news of the arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Presidential plane touched down in Kaduna airport, northwest Nigeria. The Abuja international airport had been closed as a result of on going repair works .
Immediately the presidential plane touched down, the President was ferried to Abuja by a military helicopter.
The President left the shores of the country on February 19th, 2017 on medical leave after spending 49 days abroad, he came back to the warm embrace of the expectant nation, family members, aides and political associates. In his remarks to the nation, the President confirmed he had been indisposed and had to go for medical treatment in London, United Kingdom.
This is an indictment on the health institutions of Nigeria. It is a slight on the health institutions being controlled by different layers of government in Nigeria, while the few ones are privately owned.
The privately owned are very expensive and well equipped to cater for the needs of the privileged few.
The President is among the privileged few that can spend unlimited public funds to take care of his health.
Many Nigerians are not so lucky to enjoy this exclusive preserve of the rich.
Joe Memeh, 76, a retired naval officer, just like our President is not a lucky man. He was diagnosed of cancer and could not afford to travel out.
His family took him to a government hospital in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital. First, they took him to the General Hospital, Igando, then to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja; where he was referred again to the Military Hospital, Yaba; and then to the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta and finally, to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
Memeh’s son, Buwa gave different reasons why his father could not be attended. From reasons of lack of medical personnel, industrial strikes in federally controlled health institutions, lack of facilities like bed spaces, water or electricity etc. Because of tardiness, unfortunately, the retired officer died. This was a man who used his youthful years to serve his nation creditably yet the nation’s health situation failed him when he needed it most.
Buhari has travelled abroad for medical treatment for four times since 2015. The last trip, which ended on Friday, saw him spending 49 days in the United Kingdom.
“I have rested as much as humanly possible. I have received, I think, the best of treatment I could receive,” Buhari said on Friday to a meeting with some governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
But for the Memehs, a year on, there has been no cheer. They are still dealing with the pain of losing a father they believed could have been saved if the country had quality healthcare facilities.
Egypt is an African nation like Nigeria. The former leader Hosni Mubarak, a former military leader succeeded Anwar Sadat. He ruled his country for many years before he was removed from office by the civil general uprising. He suffered health challenge while in office.
He had the option of seeking political asylum outside the country but he refused. He has since been receiving medical care at Sharm el Sheikh hospital a military hospital (located in the beautiful tourist city. He’s being brought from the military health facility to court to face his trials.
Former Israel Prime minister Ariel Sharon, a retired military general was been hospitalised since 2006, when he suffered a massive stroke in office.
He was kept alive with a feeding tube and received regular physiotherapy and treatment
After spending months in hospital in Jerusalem, Sharon was transferred to the Chaim Sheba Medical Centre at Tel Hashomer in Tel Aviv where he remained in a “serious but stable condition” until his death.
This should be a wake up call to President Buhari to stem the tide of medical tourism on foreign lands. Wealthy Nigerians travelled to western world and Asian countries like India, spending millions of dollars on medical treatment. Is this not a shame to giant of Africa?
It is curious that millions of naira is budgeted for Aso rock clinic but cannot take care of the medical need of number one citizen.
The military hospitals in Nigeria are being managed and financed by Federal government, this government can at least, as a matter of urgency, equipped and refurbished them to international standard s.
His former boss in the army, former President Olusegun Obasanjo never travelled abroad for medical attention. He did a lot to turn the fortunes of some of the tertiary health institutions.
Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, in 2002, commissioned a project to refurbish eight teaching hospitals. It was done in partnership with VAMED engineering company.
He also initiated the NHIS (National health insurance scheme).
Little is being heard about the NHIS scheme. The scheme made attempt to cover workers at the formal sectors at the initial stage when it was initially introduced
Year in year out, we heard funds being budgeted for the health sectors but the reality on ground does not suggest any marked improvements in the lives of the citizens.
For how long are we going to wait before Nigerians, either rich or poor, going to enjoy first class and quality health benefits that others take for granted in other countries?
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