A former President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Mr Peter Esele, charged President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday to match his words with action, to stop Nigerians from embarking on medical tourism.
Speaking in an interview in Benin, Esele said that Buhari should go beyond rhetoric’s and ensure compliance with his proclamation on ending medical tourism among Nigerians.
Recalling the president’s statement that “Nigerians can’t continue to embark on overseas trips for treatment,” Esele said that ensuring compliance with the proclamation was of essence.
According to the labour chief, as the president ensures compliance, the Federal Government should also ensure that new hospitals are built nationwide.
He said that existing hospitals, especially teaching hospitals should be upgraded to restore confidence of Nigerians in receiving treatment at the hospitals.
Esele remarked that it would be surprising to know that most of the hospitals being visited by Nigerians overseas, especially in Indian were no better than hospitals in Nigeria.
“I am aware that there is a hospital built in Owerri, Imo State by a neurosurgeon that is one of the best in the world.
The activist argued that stopping medical tourism would also save foreign exchange for Nigeria at a time like now when the economy is in bad shape.
He stressed the need for government to work on the psyche of Nigerians to stop them from thinking that there is nothing good about infrastructure and national institutions.
Esele called for a process to be put in place urgently to ensure that medical tourism was stopped by the present administration.
The unionist noted that presidents all over the world usually go for treatment in military hospitals in their countries and that such hospitals are always equipped to be the best.
“So President Buhari should upgrade all facilities in military hospitals and indeed, all teaching hospitals so that he too would be comfortable with going to a Nigerian hospital.
“The president should set the standard for others to follow,” Esele said.
Similarly, the Chairman of the PDP in Edo, Chief Dan Orbih, has described the statement credited to Buhari on medical tourism as “hypocritical’’.
Orbih said that the health sector in Nigeria was sick and that the president was aware of the level of decay in the sector.
“The president should stop privileged Nigerians from embarking on medical tourism and address the inadequacies in the health sector.’’
Orbih lamented that hospitals in Nigeria were ill-equipped and lacked the capacity to deliver effective treatment to sick people. (NAN)
