Nigeria’s outgoing First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has asserted that the newly inaugurated ₦21bn presidential wing of the State House Medical Centre would see the end of the need for future presidents and their family members to seek medical treatment abroad.
She made this known when she joined President Muhammadu Buhari, and other dignitaries to inaugurate the facility at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Aisha disclosed that she first nurtured the idea of a presidential wing medical facility in 2017 after her husband’s extended stay in London for treatment.
In May 2017, the President flew to London for a medical pilgrimage lasting 104 days; his longest since assuming office.
With the facility ready for use, the outgoing First Lady said Nigerian Presidents and their family members would only need to fly medical experts over to Abuja to assist their indigenous colleagues, rather than going on expensive foreign trips.
She said, ‘I’m quite happy and feeling fulfilled. Though we are leaving, all the same, we thank God that the project has come to reality.
‘I initiated this project six years ago when my husband spent three months abroad, 90 days consecutively. And it shouldn’t be because we have all the experts in Nigeria. We only need a good platform.’
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‘The hospital that is supposed to serve the First Family is serving like 35,000 people, which is quite much. That’s why I insisted that we should have a VIP wing within the proximity of the Presidential Villa.’
On if the medical centre would now make it unnecessary for Nigerian leaders to receive treatment abroad, she responded, “Yes! This one is for the health and wellness of the First Family. They don’t need to go abroad now. They only need to may be fly in experts to help our people. You know.
‘So, no need for any leader to spend months and months abroad because of health care.’
Africa Today News, New York reports that the Presidential/VIP wing of the State House Medical Centre was conceptualised by the previous administration 11 years ago. in the country by far and called for its judicious use to maximise its benefits.
Accompanied by Aisha and other members of the first family; Senate President, Ahmed Lawan; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; and the Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar, Buhari toured the cardiac catheterisation laboratory, operating rooms for regular and specialised procedures, Intensive Care Unit, specialised infectious disease isolation suites, and specialised consultation rooms.