Nigerians query cost of President Buhari's medical vacation in London
The medical vacation of President Muhammadu Buhari in London is still a trending topic in Nigeria
Nigerians are beginning to question the cost of the president’s medical vacation
There are now calls on the government to improve the nation’s health system and make it more suitable for medical tourism
President Muhammadu Buhari may be spending charge between £200 and £250 per hour, for medical services in the United Kingdom.
Checks by The Guardian revealed that these are the charges of private medical consultants based at Harley Street and at other National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in the UK.
This has made many Nigerians question the rationale behind the president’s medical vacation saying it is too expensive and a burden on tax-payer’s money.
PAY ATTENTION: Get the latest News on Legit.ng News App
A public health physician and radio host, Dr Laz Ude Eze wrote an open letter to the president earlier today, February 17 lamenting over the rotten state of Nigeria’s health system and queried the nation’s leader on why he embarked on the journey to London for medical vacation.
‘’The visits being paid to you in London by other public servants (IGP, Senate President, House Speaker, etc) are also at the expense of taxpayers like me. It is killing the economy further while the masses keep groaning in economic hardship.
‘’Sincerely, I never imagined you would be seeking foreign medical care like your predecessors. To me, the CHANGE you promised means making the State House Clinic or National Hospital good enough to meet at least your health needs.
‘’One year is more than enough to make that happen. You still have a chance to do it this year. Mr President, please patronize our Nigerian hospitals to reduce capital flight,’’ Dr Eze wrote.
Already, micro-blogging site, Twitter is buzzing with various narratives concerning the expenses incurred by President Buhari in London.
READ ALSO: Kogi APC group raises concern over sabotage of Buhari's health
Some of the tweets argued that many London trips by government officials and some politicians constitute a strain on public finances and Nigeria’s already troubled foreign exchange situation.
President Buhari has been in London since January 19. The presidency had first announced that he was there for a 10-day leave. But he has since extended the leave on medical grounds.
Source: Legit.ng
