Nigerian government stops payment of overseas medical trips for officials

The Federal Government of Nigeria yesterday said it would no longer provide resources to any government official to travel abroad for medical attention on cases that could be handled in the country. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 56th Annual General Conference and delegates meeting of Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, in Sokoto, President Muhammadu Buhari, said his administration would not encourage expending hard earned resources on any government official seeking medical care abroad. Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Health Professor Isaac Adewole, said “While this administration will not deny anyone of his or her fundamental human rights, we will certainly not encourage expending Nigerian hard-earned resources on any government official seeking medical care abroad, when such can be handled in Nigeria.”

He called on health professionals to avoid inter-professional crises which had impacted negatively on the nation’s healthcare delivery system. “We have seen the hazards that this unfortunate and highly preventable problems have caused to the quality of health care delivery in Nigeria. May I employ members of NMA to always imbibe the spirit of team work to ensure harmonious relationship with other health professionals, no profession can effectively and efficiently function without the other”, he said. He pledged government commitment to welfare of the health professionals, adding that “government will review all previous agreements and take reasonable decisions that will not infringe on the right of the workers and also invest in programmes that will improve capacity of all cadres of health workers.”