Gloria Robert, Abuja
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Mohammed Ali Pate, has addressed the practice of seeking medical treatment abroad, revealing that some African leaders also visit Nigeria for medical care.
Pate shared his perspective during an appearance on Channels TV on Friday evening, stating that the elite have a right to choose their destination for medical services.
“The narrative easily gets built that we don’t have anything here, as if we want to lose respect for ourselves,” he remarked. “If I tell you there are other senior leaders from other African countries coming here for medical care, would you believe that?”
The minister argued that the country does not operate under a system that restricts individual choices, stressing that citizens are free to pursue medical tourism as they wish.
“Tourism is something that everybody has a right to choose wherever they want to go,” he stated. “You cannot constrain people; we are not in a communist system where you say, ‘Oh, everybody has to be tied.’”
Despite the frequent criticism of Nigeria’s healthcare system, Pate mentioned the quality and professionalism within the country’s healthcare facilities.
“I think there are facilities that are well designed, well structured, properly equipped,” he explained. “We have health workers, professionals, doctors, surgeons, pharmacists, nurses working hard to provide those services.”
Responding to questions about whether the State House clinic is sufficient to meet the healthcare needs of Nigeria’s leaders, Pate affirmed, “I think it is.” He added, however, that the primary focus should remain on addressing inequalities in healthcare access affecting the broader Nigerian population.
Pate concluded by addressing the negative narrative about Nigeria’s healthcare system, noting that while individuals may make personal choices for various reasons, the quality of healthcare within Nigeria is often overlooked.
“Oftentimes, people make choices,” he said, “but other times, people build on the narratives that nothing works or nothing is good in Nigeria.”
