The Federal Government on Thursday announced it would not provide funds for government officials travelling abroad for treatment unless the case cannot be handled in Nigeria. The immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan made same pronouncement but failed to live up to it.
The immediate past president of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Osahon Enabulele, tells PREMIUM TIMES that implementation of the new policy should begin with President Muhammadu Buhari himself. He speaks on how Nigerians can hold the public officials accountable. Excerpt:
PT: The Federal Government has said there will be no more funds for government officials travelling abroad for treatment. Could it really be considered a welcome development in the light of failed campaign promises so far?
It is a good position by government if they will keep to their words. It is one thing to make a pronouncement and another thing to follow it up with actions. I have always called for an expression of the appropriate section of the National Health Act particularly Section 46 which deals with stopping reckless use of public funds on account of conditions that can be managed back home here in Nigeria. It’s a matter of giving expression to the Act which I have variously called on government at several times to keep to the tenets of the National Health Act. Even the Act gives them an opportunity to exercise such responsibilities.
PT: President Muhammadu Buhari himself has been accused of not using our health facilities. There are claims of him jetting out for medical treatment in the guise of resting abroad. Can the government really ensure compliance?
Like I said, it’s beyond making pronouncement. There has to be leadership by example. I therefore beckon on Mr. President for instance to show leadership by declaring publicly that he himself will not be one of those that will do that. In other words, even for ordinary check-ups, he has to do it within the country and not allow himself or others to jump on the next available flight to seek such care outside the country. So, it’s all about leadership and I expect them to start from the number one public servant in the country. If they do that, others will of course take a cue from that.
PT: Is there any gain for Nigeria and Nigerians if the president and other public office holders quit medical tourism?
It’s going to help to reduce the capital flight out of our country. As of 2015, the whole country was losing over one billion dollars. That was 2015. I can imagine what it is now. It is also going to help prevent capital flight and preserve the resources for some other basic medical structure that would be provided within the country.
PT: What are some of these basic medical structures?
It includes training of the requisite manpower, in the face of the acute shortage of health human resources in our country. It is also going to help curb corruption as that has been a conduit pipe by some public office holders to launder resources and funds.
PT: As a civil servant, do you think it would be considered a win-win situation by everyone involved?
In all ways, it is a win-win situation for Nigeria if they would be able to keep to their words. It is beyond pronouncement but I look forward to seeing leadership by example. I am looking forward to seeing the very heads giving expression to this.
PT: Public hospitals in Nigeria have a notoriety for long queues for patients waiting to see very few doctors and specialists in the country. Are you saying the Nigerian president and other public office holders should go through this to receive care?
I am looking forward to them lining up on the queues of public hospitals to procure healthcare services. So when Nigerians begin to see these public officials, such as Mr. President, the governors, senators and legislators, on the same queues with Nigerians in public hospitals, they would take a cue from them and have that level of confidence and believe these guys mean what they are saying. And not the issue of do what I say and not what I do. I only hope they keep to their words.
PT: This is not the first time that such pronouncement is being made. In the last administration, the ministry of health said same. Do you really think this would be different?
I cannot pierce through their hearts and consciousness but I can only say what I have seen in the pages of newspapers and of course, by virtue of being around when such pronouncements were made. The fact that a former government said it but never implemented it cannot of course be made to entrap this current leadership. And if they have now come up to make the same statement, and since they said they are coming to institute fundamental changes, I think we should give them the benefits of doubts so that in the next couple of months, we would set up our vigilance Intelligence mechanisms to see how they procure healthcare services. We are not praying that anyone falls ill, but if and when they fall ill, you guys in the media and all of us Nigerians must be very vigilant to track the whole process of procuring heath care services by these persons. That is what will inform us if they are doing what they said they would do or what Nigerians should do. Until that happens, all I can do is to give them the benefits of doubts and hope and pray that they would depart from the past experience and what has caused this level of decadence in the public sector by public office holders.
PT: You said the pronouncement will save the health sector some good money. But with the level of corruption in the country, do you see such monies really being saved and being felt by and in the health sector?
There are defined mechanisms and processes for payments. I expect the various institutions from which they would hopefully procure these services to be transparent and corruption free. Because payments are made not through individual pockets but institutional outlets and service points. Except those service points are corrupt, then we would have such opportunities created by such officials to launder these same resources. I want to believe in any case, it is not going to be as bad as what we have now. It is for us to start the process and them to give concrete expression to what they said they would do and we can begin to monitor the process and investigate these leakages that perhaps you are apprehensive about.
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