President Goodluck Jonathan has said his administration will reduce medical tourism to the barest minimum, as he stated that government officials will henceforth be stopped from seeking medical treatment abroad except in special cases.
Jonathan has therefore directed the Ministry of Health to collaborate with the Ministry of Finance and Trade and Investment to consult with medical practitioners with a view to supporting private investors to build state-of-the-art hospitals in the country.
This was disclosed after the president held a meeting, yesterday, with the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA in a bid to ensure the proposed strike by the association does not hold.
According to a source who was present at the meeting, the president’s decision would promote local potential, strengthen the sector, improve fiscal policy on medical equipment and check the growth of medical tourism.
He said Jonathan had also directed that before any government official is allowed to travel abroad for medical reasons, government must first be satisfied that no such medical services exist in Nigeria.
The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), according to him, would be critically looked into by the president to make it more productive.
Yesterday’s meeting was presided over by Jonathan and had in attendance, Vice-President Namadi Sambo; Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State; Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu; Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu; Director-General of Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogu; and the Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Chief Richard Egbule, among others.
Easier said than done.Let him start with the 1st family.The President has never kept to any of his promises before.This won’t be an exception.It’ll remain just a statement.Let the President prove me wrong,at least once
The president and his aids are attending to strike issues and they have completely forgeting that ASUP Accademic staff union of polytechnic has been on strike over three month now! Both FG and the union living the student in chambus, on punishment and in pain with frustration roaming about the street ! If the FG dont need the polytechnic system any more they should scrab the system so that we know is only university system that exist! not with this inpunity treatment, inresponsible and negligent to a very key, nesercity institution like that! The major problem is that mr. President is surounded with in compitence persons arround him, people that lack solution to problem becouse of partisanship and they keept on draging him backward if he make one step forward. All most the student are resuming these weekend with joy but the hope of fedral polytechnic student is dashed to the bush even as they earler believed can go back to school thesame time with their university counterpath! but here we are! I pleed that Nigerians should speek on these issue just for student sake.
mr president, now you are talking; it’s remaining there kids school abroad and removal of immunity clause from the constitution. lets i forget, if it’s not lip service as usual. God help us.
Mr president are u sure?have u equipt our hospitals well enough to be making such statement?most hospitals don’t even have light n water like the benue state teaching hospital were instrument are sterilized @ the fed medical center.don’t be lieing to us.its a new year.things might not go as u may be thinking.