President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration will not encourage expending the nation’s resources on any government official seeking medical care abroad especially when there is evidence of expertise in Nigeria.
This is just as he said the federal government would soon roll out its health agenda that is pro-poor.
President Buhari who spoke yesterday at the 56th Annual General Conference and Delegate meeting of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Sokoto through the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac ?Adewole, said it was regrettable that Nigeria loses about $1 billion annually to medical tourism.
“This amount is more than annual budget of some states in Nigeria,” he stated, adding,
“While the administration will not deny any one of us his or her fundamental human right, I will certainly not encourage expending Nigeria’s hard earned resources on any government official seeking medical care abroad especially when there is evidence of expertise in Nigeria.”
In view of several agitations by different groups of health workers, the president said the federal government would review all previous agreements and take reasonable decisions that will not impinge on the rights of workers.
?In his address, Chairman of the occasion, Senator Adamu Aliero said there was urgent need to develop a national health information infrastructure to disseminate information and improve the quality and safety of heath care, adding that the country lacked a dependable data about the specific health challenges of ?the respective communities in the country.
Also speaking, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal expressed his administration’s commitment towards boosting healthcare services in the state.
Earlier, NMA President Dr.Lawrence Obembe ?said the theme of the conference was aimed at critically evaluating the roles and challenges of doctors in a democratic setting.
