NMA wants President Buhari to replicate London's health facilities in Nigeria
NMA wants President Buhari to replicate London's health facilities in
Nigeria
President Muhammadu Buhari recently returned to Nigeria after about 103
days in London - The Nigerian Medical Association welcomed Buhari back to the
country and asked him to revamp the health sector - The association argues that
revamping the sector would spare Nigerians the hassles of travelling abroad on
medical tourism Doctors under the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have
pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure he looks into the crises that
have engulfed the country’s health sector. The association said this while
joining other Nigerians to welcome Buhari back to Nigeria after at least 103
days in London for medical reasons. Channels Television reports that the NMA
urged the president to urgently replicate in Nigeria the health facilities he
benefited from in London while he was on medical vacation.
According to the report, the NMA said the country needed to upgrade its
health facilities to international standards. It argued that this would save
the country and citizens the high amount of foreign exchange spent on medical
tourism abroad. NAIJ.com learnt that the NMA made its decision clear in a
communique read in Kaduna by its president, Dr Mike Ogirima. Ogirima said: “The
president has firsthand experience of what we have been talking about:
upgrading Nigerian hospitals and that is why we are calling on him that based
on his experience, he should replicate what he has seen in London to take care
of the masses.” NMA further pleaded with the government to implement the ‘Abuja
Declaration’ which recommended at least 15 percent annual budgetary allocations
to the health sector.
It asked the government to work towards improving the welfare of
healthcare personnel. It was earlier reported that Femi Adesina who is the
special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity has said
that he will return to London for medical treatment if need be. The president
returned to the country on Saturday, August 19 after spending more than 100
days in London for medical treatment.