The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has mockingly described President Muhammadu Buhari’s comment against overseas treatment, for which Mr. President leads on the medal table, as self-indicting and raises public apprehensions on high-level deceits in governance.
In a statement signed and delivered on Sunday, January 5, to the Atlantic Post in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan, the party described as ridiculous, a situation where a President, who patronizes 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.
According to Kola Ologbondiyan, while the PDP do not approve of proliferated foreign medical tourism, especially by leaders and public office holders, the party holds that a leader who has failed to lead by example and whose government has neglected and wrecked the country’s healthcare systems, lacks all rectitude to issue directives against foreign treatment.
The PDP said it consequently urges President Buhari to show example by patronizing a Nigerian public hospital on his next medical appointment so that he can experience the healthcare reality that citizens have been subjected to under his government.
The party added that Mr President can then discover that the country’s 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 demoralized workforce worse than his 1983 recollections.
The PDP stated that 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.
The party further stated that Nigerians recall that under the its administration, new technologies and modern medical equipment were available in most federal medical institutions where cases such as cancer, kidney, heart and brain ailments for which Nigerians are now mostly seeking overseas treatment were effectively handled in the country.
The PDP claimed that the health care of the country would have continued to flourish but for the disruption of its people-based healthcare programs by the Buhari-led APC administration.
The party lamented that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has now become the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) of the corrupt cabal in the Buhari Presidency, which has not been able to account for the looting of billions of naira saved for the healthcare needs of Nigerians.
The PDP reminded President Buhari that “under its administration, the dreaded Ebola outbreak was managed without grave consequences,” adding that “if such medical emergency, God forbid, breaks out today, it would be devastating to our nation given the poor handling of our healthcare system by the APC administration.”
The PDP accused the APC administration of neglecting the national health need as reflected in successive budgetary allocations under President Buhari.
“Even in the 2020 budget, only N427.3bn (4.5% of the budget) is provided for the health need of over 186 million Nigerians. Indeed, this is not the way to go.”
The PDP said it therefore charges President Buhari to end his rhetoric by taking concrete steps to improve on the nation’s healthcare system so that Nigerians can have access to adequate and affordable healthcare at all levels.
