The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari for counselling Nigerians against travelling abroad to seek medical help.
PDP charged Buhari to lead by example, stressing that such remark was ridiculous.
Buhari had on Friday during the inauguration and handover of a completed project to the management of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, urged Nigerians to stop travelling abroad for medical treatment.
Buhari, who was represented by Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology, had said it’s not good for Nigerians to travel abroad for medical attention.
“Nigerians have suffered so much going abroad for medical treatment. This is not good for us and it must stop because we can’t afford it again,” he had said.
However, a statement by PDP’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan lamented that Buhari’s administration has failed to provide adequate healthcare in across the country.
The statement reads, “Our party describes as ridiculous, a situation where a President, who patronises foreign hospitals for treatment and even check-ups; whose administration has failed to provide adequate healthcare in his country could turn around to pontificate to other citizens against foreign treatment.
“While the PDP does not approve of proliferated foreign medical tourism, especially by leaders and public office holders, our party holds that a leader who has failed to lead by example and whose government has neglected and wrecked our healthcare systems lacks all rectitude to issue directives against foreign treatment.
“Mr President can then discover that our health system has suffered untold neglect under his watch, leading to dilapidated infrastructure, empty drug shelves, decrepit and worn-out equipment, brain-drain and a demoralised workforce worse than his 1983 recollections.
“It is even more disheartening that all the investments and robust programmes of successive PDP administration, including the comprehensive National Strategic Health Development Plan, Saving One Million Lives Initiatives, National Health Insurance Scheme, among others, have been degraded and impaired by the dysfunctional APC administration.”
Buhari had on several occasions travelled to London, the United Kingdom, UK, for medical attention.
However, in August 2019 in Daura, Katsina State, Buhari said Nigerians must reduce dependence on medical treatment abroad and assured that efforts will be redoubled to improve health facilities, equipment and services in the country.
