By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
The N21 billion Presidential Wing of the State House Medical Centre was officially inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday.
Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari, said that the facility will eliminate the need for the president and his family to travel overseas for medical care.
The president’s wife revealed to State House Correspondents that she came up with the idea of the VIP Wing six years ago after her husband’s protracted stay abroad for medical treatment.
Mrs Buhari attended the facility’s commissioning ceremony with other dignitaries at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
She said now that the facility is in place, Nigerian Presidents and their family members will no longer need to go abroad for treatment but may only fly in medical experts to assist their colleagues in the country.
Asked her impression of the new medical center, she said: “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.”
On whether the medical centre will now make it unnecessary for Nigerian leaders to go abroad for treatment, she responded: “Yes. This one is for the health and wellness of the First Family. They don’t need to go abroad now. They only need to may be 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.”
Details later…
