First Lady Aisha Buhari has expressed her belief that Nigerian presidents should no longer seek medical treatment abroad, News About Nigeria reports.
Her comments came during the inauguration of the new N21 billion Presidential/VIP Wing of the State House Medical Center, situated within the premises of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Following a tour of the facility, Mrs. Buhari spoke to reporters from the State House and emphasized that the newly established medical center would eliminate the need for the president and his family members to travel abroad for medical care.
The First Lady revealed that she had conceived the idea of this project six years ago, prompted by her husband’s prolonged stays abroad for medical treatment.
Now that the facility has become a reality, Nigerian presidents and their families will no longer have to rely on foreign medical assistance.
Instead, they can arrange for medical experts to be flown in to provide aid within the country.
When asked about her thoughts on the new medical center, Mrs. Buhari expressed her satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment.
She stated, “I’m quite happy. Though we are leaving soon, I am grateful to see this project come to fruition.”
She explained that she had initiated the project six years ago when her husband had spent an uninterrupted period of three months receiving medical care abroad.
Mrs. Buhari firmly believes that Nigeria possesses an abundance of qualified medical professionals and only requires a suitable platform to deliver exceptional healthcare.
Drawing attention to the current situation, she highlighted that the hospital intended to serve the First Family was serving an overwhelming number of approximately 35,000 individuals.
Consequently, she insisted on the establishment of a VIP Wing within the proximity of the presidential villa to address this issue.
Regarding the question of whether the medical center would eliminate the need for Nigerian leaders to seek medical treatment abroad, Mrs. Buhari responded with a resounding “Yes.”
She clarified that the newly established facility was specifically designed to cater to the health and well-being of the First Family, eliminating the necessity for them to travel abroad.
Instead, they could simply bring in medical experts from overseas to assist in providing top-notch healthcare to the people of Nigeria. Therefore, there is no longer a reason for any leader to spend extensive periods abroad for medical purposes.
