Buhari to visit UK for medical check-up Tuesday
President Muhammadu Buhari will on Tuesday travel to London, UK, for a medical check-up.
Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, said the trip is strictly “routine”.
In a statement released on Monday, Adesina said the president will first meet with the security chiefs in the morning.
After his sit-down with the service chiefs, the president will then embark on his trip.
“President Muhammadu Buhari proceeds to London, the United Kingdom, Tuesday March 30, 2021, for a routine medical check-up,” Adesina said in the statement.
“The President meets with Security Chiefs first in the morning, after which he embarks on the journey.”
Buhari is expected back in the country in the second week of April.
The president has embarked on several trips to the UK to seek medical care since he assumed office.
In 2017, the president spent over 150 days in the UK, treating an undisclosed ailment.
Buhari also returned to the UK for four days in May 2018 to see his doctor.
Aisha Buhari, wife of the president, had in November 2020 said there was an urgent need to develop the health sector in order to reduce medical tourism.
She made the comment after returning to the country from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), where she had gone for medical treatment.
The Presidency just confirmed that President Buhari is an annual medical pilgrim. Muhammadu Buhari has been embarking on medical pilgrimage to London for more than 30 years now, according to his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, “If someone has kept retainership with medical experts, you are talking about 30 years and plus to examine you and they give you a pass. Would you be changing your doctors every other year because there is a chance that the distance will be shortened? No. I think that the President is wise and quite correct in his decision that he retains some set of doctors who have insured good health for himself.”
Let Buhari never ever condemn anyone or prevent any Nigerian citizen from seeking medical help overseas. His wife Aisha Buhari also recently returned from medical treatment overseas. She told the nation through social media recently: “I am well now and fully recovered and have since returned back home, Nigeria.” She added: “I want to use this opportunity to thank all Nigerians for their prayers and well wishes while I was away for medical treatment.” I do not think Nigerians need Aisha Buhari to thank them as they suffer poverty and lack, and many of them displaced, killed on their farms by her husband’s cattle men. The question is: Why won’t Buhari, his wife and family use the Aso Rock Clinic where billions of naira in annual budget is expended?
Buhari’s man just confirmed that our Teaching Hospitals are not good enough and lack equipment and resources – even to examine the president! The president trust foreign hospitals to treat and care for him, his wife and family because he does not have fate in our own hospitals. This is an admission of failure by Buhari; his glaring failure to bring our hospitals to a standard that will give him the assurance to patronize them rather than going on an annual pilgrimage for medical check up and treatment overseas. It is an admission of failure by this APC government. Buhari’s message to Nigerians is clear: You are on your own where there health care and well being are concerned, good luck.
Babs Ajayi