First lady Aisha Buhari has said that with the N21 billion presidential/VIP wing of the State House Medical Centre Nigeria’s presidents do not need to seek treatment abroad anymore.
Mrs Buhari stated this on Friday at the commissioning of the centre.
The first lady, who spoke to journalists after President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the project and concluded a tour of the facility, said she came up with the idea of executing the project six years ago following her husband’s long stay abroad for medical treatment.
“I’m quite happy, feeling fulfilled. Though we are leaving but all the same, we thank God the project has come to reality,” she said.
“I have opted for it six years now. I initiated this project 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.”
Asked if 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.
“So, no need for any leader to spend months and months abroad because of health care.”
