Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has once again explained
why President Muhammadu Buhari traveled overseas for treatment.
Professor Adewole said the President opted for foreign treatment following the advice by his doctors.
The minister made this clarification while speaking with newsmen on
the sidelines of the inauguration of Central Pharmacy Store and
Maternity Building at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital
Complex , Ile Ife.
The decision by President Buhari to travel abroad for treatment has been greeted with nationwide criticisms.
Many faulted the President who has been advising citizens to
patronize Nigerian products for ignoring local hospitals for a London
hospital.
Reacting, however, Adewale said the President only followed the instruction of his personal doctors.
According to him, “I won’t describe it as a large volume but we still have people travelling abroad.
“One, it is a matter of choice and secondly, there is what is called
bonding between a doctor and his patient irrespective of where the
doctor is and that creates a problem, the patient may not want to see a
new doctor.
“If a patient is seeing a particular doctor and that doctor is not
around he may likely wait. You don’t want to be examined by a new
doctor, you don’t want to start all over again. It is one of the reasons
and you can’t take it away.
Adewole said, “The President is the best person to speak on this, he
is our leader but also a private citizen. He is entitled to making a
choice which will be influenced largely by the advice of his doctor.”