Going by the account of Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu, no other President or government official need to travel outside the country for medical needs as all options for that are now available within reach in Nigeria.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Very Important Person (VIP) wing of the State House Medical Centre, she said the N21 billion presidential wing of the Aso Villa Medical Centre, commissioned on Friday by the President, would end health tourism for future Presidents.
“They don’t need to go abroad now. They only need to maybe 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.”
Aisha, who said she came up with the idea of the VIP wing six years ago after her husband’s protracted stay abroad for medical treatment, noted that her husband’s frequent trips were necessitated by the pressure on the facility, receiving thousands of patients asides the first family.
“I’m quite happy, feeling fulfilled. Though we are leaving but all the same, we thank God the project has come to reality. I have opted for it six years now. I initiated this project idea six years ago when my husband spent three months abroad, consecutively, 90 days. And it shouldn’t be because we have all the experts in Nigeria. We only need a good platform.
“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 we should have a VIP wing within the proximity of the presidential villa.”
The new facility, equipped with several specialized departments, to be staffed by a team of medical professionals, featuring five consultation rooms dedicated to various specialties, including respiratory, cardiology, ophthalmology, ENT, and general consultation, would cater to the medical needs of the President, Vice President, their immediate families and VIPs.
Additional facilities also include a specialized X-ray suite equipped with a digital X-ray machine as well as a diagnostic suite encompassing MRI, CT scan, and endoscopy facilities, with patients and visitors having access to a healing garden, designed to foster healing, relaxation, and enhancement of overall well-being, in addition to a catheterization laboratory, two operating rooms for regular procedures, and special procedures such as organ transplants.
