The Federal Government is set to review sponsorship of overseas medical treatment for its officials, Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said in Abuja on Tuesday.
Reacting to the trend where government officials frequently went abroad for medical treatment, the minister said it was wrong for government to continue to sponsor such medical trips.
He explained that government’s decision was informed by the need for prudence in the management of the nation’s scarce resources and to restore confidence in the nation’s medical services.
“If government sponsored that individual, that will be wrong and we are going to put a stop this year to it. We are almost through with preparing the memo we want to send to the Federal Executive Council for approval as a policy.
“What we are now saying in that draft memo, is that the minister needs to put in writing and certify?? for anybody to be paid with public funds or be sponsored with public funds for treatment outside this country, the minister of health should put it in writing and not just saying it.
“Put it in writing to say; yes for this particular condition, treatment and investigative facilities we have in this country are unsatisfactory, he has to indicate. Let him bear the burden and if he didn’t do that then nobody will give that individual public funds to sponsor.”
Chukwu said there was the need to respect personal interests of those who wished to travel?? abroad for treatment, using their personal funds, however.
“Even if that person is paying from his pocket, it still amounts to capital flight and I don’t think as minister and a member of the economic team, Nigerians will be happy where there is capital flight for something that is avoidable.
“So it is the responsibility of those of us in the Federal Ministry of Health, states ministries of health and local government councils, health offices, organised private health sector to see that we do things that will give our people confidence,” he said.
The minister also said, when people lose confidence in the health services of a country it would take time for the government to regain the confidence.
Chukwu said the ministry was doing a lot to regain the confidence of Nigerians as it concerned receiving medical treating in the country.
He noted that Nigerians’ penchant for foreign goods and services was not limited to the health sector and expressed amazement at why Nigerians should prefer imported rice to local ones, whereas the former was not more nutritious than the latter.
?Therefore, it was inexplicable that Nigerians preferred foreign shoes to shoes made in Aba, Abia, or garments made abroad to those made in Nigeria.?