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From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on President Bola Tinubu-led administration to deploy more resources to revamp the Nigerian health sector and provide world class medical facilities at the government-owned health institutions.
NANS pointed out that it is not only a national embarrassment, but international shame for Nigerian leaders to rush overseas to seek better medical treatment when government hospitals in the country have remained ‘mere consulting rooms.’
The student body, in a statement by its National Vice President on Inter-Campus and Gender Affairs, Akinbodunse Sileola Felicia, yesterday, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, noted that the hitherto world class government hospitals, particularly teaching hospitals in the country, now lack modern and state-of-the-art facilities, hence, Nigerian leaders scamper abroad for medical attention.
Akinbodunse said the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari is a painful occurrence and national loss, but it was more painful to see two former Nigerian leaders to be admitted at the same hospital in the United Kingdom due to the dilapidated health facilities back home.
She recalled how foreign nationals, especially the Royal Family from Saudi Arabia used to come to Nigeria for medical treatment in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, urging the incumbent president to ensure that the comatose health sector is revamped.
NANS further implored President Tinubu to lead by example by getting medical treatment in Nigeria rather than travelling to France.
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It averred that if hospitals in the country were upgraded and well equipped, it would benefit the country in terms of medical tourism and equally make quality healthcare available to the citizens.
While commiserating with the family of the late former President Buhari, NANS posited that his death at a London clinic should suffice to spur the Nigerian government to do the right thing by fixing the health sector and other ancillary sectors in order to transform the country.
“NANS views with disdain, the poor healthcare facilities in the country and how our leaders scamper abroad for medical attention whenever the need arises. It is not a pleasant situation to see many Nigerians die due to lack of modern medical facilities capable of saving their lives. Yet, our leaders who are supposed to do the needful abandon our hospitals and rush overseas for treatment.
“Meanwhile, most of them are being attended to by Nigerian doctors, who traveled out of the country to seek greener pastures. If the government-owned health institutions have been upgraded, well equipped and medical personnel are adequately remunerated, the country will save billions of Naira being lost to medical tourism abroad. This will also help the country to stem the tide of brain drain.”
“While NANS expresses sadness over the death of former President Buhari, we hereby call on President Tinubu, to allow the death of his immediate predecessor to goad his administration into fixing the comatose health sector with the sole aim of providing quality healthcare facilities to Nigerian, including the leaders and their families.
“It is, indeed, a sad thing to see two former Nigerian leaders admitted into the same clinic in London because of poor healthcare facilities back home. NANS is optimistic that the Tinubu-led administration is able to revamp the health sector and return the country to late 1970’s and early 1980s when foreign nationals, especially members of the Saudi royal family, came to Nigeria for medical treatment.
“Once again, NANS commiserates with the family of the late former President Buhari, the people of Daura and Katsina State. NANS also reiterates that President Tinubu should lead by example and begin to receive medical treatment in the country, rather than spending taxpayers’ money on a similar thing in France or elsewhere,” the statement read.
