Why Nigerians  Seek Medical Help Abroad-Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has  said  that unfriendly attitude of hospital staffers, poor hygienic and house keeping standard in the presence of sophisticated equipments and qualified medical doctors as some of the failings triggering medical tourism in the country.

He said  these factors  are more frequently responsible for loss of confidence of end users in the nation’s health sector more than lack of equipments.

Represented by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, President Buhari, said this during the Commissioning of seven projects executed by Professor Adewale Musa-Olomu led management of the Federal Medical Center, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The President, who expressed delight at the strides recorded by the management of the hospital, however charged management of hospitals across the country to also pay attention, not only to improving staff harmony and welfare, but to retraining health care givers for even better professionalism.

The projects which were commissioned by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila included a Conference Center and Telemedicine Hall named after the President; and a pharmacy complex named after the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo Pharmacy Complex.

According to President Buhari, the Telemedicine Center will increase the knowledge base and skills of care givers on a continuous basis, especially at a time of COVID-19 pandemic when virtual meetings and online consultations have become a new normal.

Buhari said: “We still get all too often for comfort, disconcerting reports of not friendly attitudes of staff to patients, reports of hygiene and house keeping standards that leaves something to be desired even in the presence of sophisticated equipment and well qualified doctors.

“Such simple failings like this, are more frequently responsible for the loss of confidence of the end users in our health system than even the lack of equipment. They are the triggers for the distrust that will lead people to go on medical tourism.

“We have a lot of work to do in that area and I want to believe that the managers of our hospitals after such laudable, fantastic infrastructure investment we now begin to pay attention, not only to improving staff harmony and welfare, but to retraining health care givers for even better professionalism that deliver service in a productive and courteous atmosphere based on the lessons we learnt from our traditional African hospitality.

“This International Conference centre and Telemedicine hall which I’m informed has the capacity for 1,500 persons is said to be equipped with modern gadgets to facilitate international meetings which should contribute to the knowledge base and skills of care givers on a continuous basis.

“Telemedicine is an icing on the cake for universal health coverage. This government is passionate about healthcare at grassroots level and it is our policy to have one functional Primary Health Care in every political ward of the country, this will be almost 10,000.”