By Abdullahi Ahmad Bamalli
First Lady Aisha Buhari has announced that the new N21 billion Presidential Wing State House Medical Center will end medical tourism for the Nigerian presidents.
First Lady Aisha Buhari, along with President Muhammadu Buhari and other dignitaries, attended the completion ceremony for the facility at the presidential villa in Abuja on Friday.
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At the event, Mrs. Buhari expressed her joy and said that modern medical facilities will save Nigerian presidents and their families from having to seek treatment abroad.
Mrs. Buhari disclosed that the project had been initiated six years ago, prompted by her husband’s three-month-long consecutive medical trip abroad.
Recognising the abundance of medical expertise within Nigeria, she emphasised the importance of establishing a reliable platform for high-quality healthcare services.
The First Lady underscored the necessity for a dedicated medical centre to cater specifically to the First Family’s health needs, as the existing facility was burdened with serving approximately 35,000 individuals.
Consequently, the establishment of the VIP Wing within close proximity to the presidential villa became a pressing priority.
When asked on the impact of the new medical centre on future healthcare arrangements for Nigerian leaders, Mrs. Buhari affirmed that overseas medical trips would now be rendered unnecessary.
Instead, she said the facility would welcome medical experts from abroad to collaborate with Nigerian professionals, ensuring exceptional healthcare standards locally.
She said: “No need for any leader to spend months and months abroad because of healthcare. This one is for the health and wellness of the First Family. They don’t need to go abroad now. They only need to maybe fly in experts to help our people.”
