Is that an admission the health system he presides over is not fit for purpose?

How about leading by example?

We've always known this. A leader gets sick, they get shipped out! but there are good hospitals in Nigeria that are expensive.

[size=13pt]Nigeria: President Yar'Adua Signs 2008 Budget, Leaves for Germany[/size]

http://allafrica.com/stories/200804141813.html
14 April 2008
Posted to the web 14 April 2008

Abuja

The 2008 Appropriation Bill passed by the National Assembly was formally signed into law on Monday April 14 at the Presidential Villa by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.

President Yar'dua's assent to the bill was witnessed by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Usman Bayero Nafada, amongst others.


Speaking at the occasion, the President said that he expects all agencies of the Federal Government to implement the 2008 budget with "the highest sense of responsibility and with total deference to due process".

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Communications, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, President Yar'Adua pledged that every effort to ensure that actual results, commensurate with the resources provided, were achieved with the 2008 budget, the main thrust of which, he said, is to deliver on the Administration's promise of poverty alleviation and pursue its seven-point agenda.

Meanwhile, the President will leave for Wiesbaden, Germany later today to see his private physicians for a medical review of an indisposition believed to be due to an allergic reaction.

He is expected back in the country before the weekend.

j-girl:

We've always known this. A leader gets sick, they get shipped out! but there are good hospitals in Nigeria that are expensive.

he might have some ijebu in him then

or maybe he just prefers his personal doctor

sick man leading sick people and a sick country

he is obviously laundering money also, in the name of sickness. My biggest grouse is that the religious leaders cheer them on and pretend they know nothing about this.

Oh come on, what religious leaders

SAM MILLA:

nothing like leading by example in africa for now especially when it comes to health, kanu nwankwo was operated on abroad, he is a famous nigerian, all of us go for italian shoes if we can afford it while there are nigerian made shoes. i know of many foreign leaders who go to other countries for medical check ups, nothing wrong in that if he can afford it,

There is no doubt that many Africans have an Obsession with Western Products from Education to Football.

There will always be some cases when the medical expertise needed may not be available locally for some ailments but the general attitude of rich Nigerians is to go abroad for the slightest medical discomfort.

Look at the case of Kanu Heart Foundation, It has heped many families with treatment of heart ailments of their loved ones but as we speak little or nothing is being done to have a local hospital take care of the patients but they prefer to send the patients abroad. If the K.H.F builds it's own hospital  or partners a local hospital, more will be done for the people with heart ailments.

The health care of Nigerians should be both a Public & Private concern.

doyin13:

Is that an admission the health system he presides over is not fit for purpose?

How about leading by example?

I have always believed our hospitals are slaughter houses. No drugs, no good modern day equipment and most of our experienced qualified doctors have sought for greener pastures in Europe and Saudi Arabia. In a country where we have over N300m allocated for Health alone in 2007, and our president still has to be flown abroad for medical treatment! Members in our House of Reps who think any unspent money is national cake which should be shared and 'eaten' by them should all cover their heads in shame. And the monies they spent, what do they have to show for it? can anybody see anything done?

folem:

There is no doubt that many Africans have an Obsession with Western Products from Education to Football.

There will always be some cases when the medical expertise needed may not be available locally for some ailments but the general attitude of rich Nigerians is to go abroad for the slightest medical discomfort.

Every citizen has a right to good comprehensive health services. Our leaders our corrupt. They have no excuse for Nigeria turning out the way it has. But then people have a right to spend their money the way they want. If they choose to spend it on medical trips abroad then that is their choice and it's their money NOT the governments. But you see these rich people as you call them have NO CHOICE than to go abroad. We have no hospitals in Nigeria, and no rich man would want to be bothered with buying cotton wool, a piece of gloves, syringe or even a pint of blood, armed with your bedsheets, pillows and pillowcases when going on admission in a government hospital. No sane person would want to be killed in a Nigerian hospital for that matter.

afrika1:

[size=30pt]SICK MAN LEADING SICK PEOPLE AND A SICK COUNTRY[/size]

u sounded very funny with that response of yours, how do you mean?

so let's get this straight. the nigerian navy get's money to build a 2nd-hand warship but nigeria doesn't have a state of the art medical facility to treat allergic reactions. i thought it was normal protocol for presidents to have a medical staff that deals with this issues. what if it was a stroke??

If they choose to spend it on medical trips abroad then that is their choice and it's their money NOT the governments.

all traveling expenses for Nigerian government officials are usually paid by public funds. he would be accompanied to Europe by staff whose welfare are paid by public funds. this is absurd in whatever way u think of it.

bawomolo:

all traveling expenses for Nigerian government officials are usually paid by public funds. he would be accompanied to Europe by staff whose welfare are paid by public funds. this is absurd in whatever way u think of it.

Am talking about so called rich people in the private sector not government officials.

If na you, you go go to any hospital for Nigeria?  Leading by example ko, dying by example ni. So those doctors and nurses will operate on him without gloves or electricity. . .mopping sweat from their eyebrows as they work in the deadly humidity of the roach infested theatres/Operating Rooms crawling round with termites and lizards?

Have you been in[b] any [/b] Nigerian Hospital recently? Never mind those ones that were built for cosmetic reasons to show pictures to the outside world in Lagos and Abuja.  They have no qualified personnel to even hasten your departure from this planet!

An oil producing country that employs humans to wipe sweat and snort from the faces of so-called doctors while the butcher people in the so called residential real estate property turned hospitals.  Any hospital you visit. . .you will find "cupboards and wardrobes", even sinks and bathtubs in the doctors' offices to let you know that that was someone's house prior to the conversion of a make swift. . .medical center or cemetary.  Looking in the back of the property, you will discover many tombstones to also let you know that most of the ancestors of the original owners of the building have been laid to rest there.

Or maybe victims of malpractice still considered missing by the worried family members left behind in the villages!

You think Yar'adua is that daft?

I would rather take ma chances with the native doctors thank you!

Am talking about so called rich people in the private sector not government officials.

it's none of our business as long as it's not government money.

bawomolo:

it's none of our business as long as it's not government money.

We're saying the same thing thank you.

Same Country where Obasanjo dey go repair him body engine, I hope some funny sh1t is not going down there.

Well, unfortunately, its not only Govt money, it's also tax payers money, public funds, and precious govt/offical public time that is being spent on all these foreign travels. Much as we wish the president well in his health, no well-meaning, patriotic Nigerian will be happy to hear that about all these flying abroad for medical treatment. Height of hypocrisy. He has had a year now in office to have at least put the Abuja hospital in such a hi-tech state that a foreign trip would be unneccesary, but here we are, all talk and no action.

AlfaPrime:

Well, unfortunately, its not only Govt money, it's also tax payers money, public funds, and precious govt/offical public time that is being spent on all these foreign travels. Much as we wish the president well in his health, no well-meaning, patriotic Nigerian will be happy to hear that about all these flying abroad for medical treatment. Height of hypocrisy. He has had a year now in office to have at least put the Abuja hospital in such a hi-tech state that a foreign trip would be unneccesary, but here we are, all talk and no action.

You are definitely a beautiful Nigeria for pointing that out as you clearly did.

AlfaPrime:

Well, unfortunately, its not only Govt money, it's also tax payers money, public funds, and precious govt/offical public time that is being spent on all these foreign travels. Much as we wish the president well in his health, no well-meaning, patriotic Nigerian will be happy to hear that about all these flying abroad for medical treatment. Height of hypocrisy. He has had a year now in office to have at least put the Abuja hospital in such a hi-tech state that a foreign trip would be unneccesary, but here we are, all talk and no action.

Plus 8yrs as Katsina state governor.

So much for leading by example. As alfaprime said, he should have put the Abuja hospital in shape, especially since he already knew his condition when he came in to power. What is his vision for this country I wonder?

speaks so much about his performance. after 11 months, his country's hospitals can't help him!

What is his vision for this country I wonder?

why wasn't he asked this before he was elected. too late now

Yar' adua is die

bawomolo:

so let's get this straight. the nigerian navy get's money to build a 2nd-hand warship but nigeria doesn't have a state of the art medical facility to treat allergic reactions. i thought it was normal protocol for presidents to have a medical staff that deals with this issues. what if it was a stroke??

Look closely, i think they are building a fishing boat fitted with dane guns.

yes now! it has to be germany. perhaps he'll get a pedicure in london while he's at it. i wonder how these mad men feel going for CHECKUPS abroad; thereby admitting their inability to provide ONE decent hospital in nigeria with all our oil money. may he decide to fly to germany when he has a heart attack or massive stroke!

please dont ask about his vision. that is all we have been hearing about since his campaign. none is yet to materialise. rather he is revoking the on-going projects we have been using to console ourselves. i'm sure he'll have a laryng-vocalchords-whatever check up while in germany. get a specialist to check him well well, so he can lecture us some more.

bulls, t!

well, really, if he was going for check ups in Germany before he became president, should he stop now?

He may have a trusted doctor over there who has been treating him for years.

I should think the problem would be if he never used to get the foreign check ups prior to Aso Rock.

Its rather hard expecting him to switch hospitals and doctors at this stage.

So his reasons for going abroad are understandable, if not agreeable. Though it doesnt excuse his administration from improving the health system in Nigeria.

All this should have been ironed out before he ran for office.

He was Governor of Katsina State for 8 Years before Aso Rock. There is still something wrong there. Why in all that time did he not think to have a hospital of the same caliber or close constructed in Katsina

Kobojunkie:

He was Governor of Katsina State for 8 Years before Aso Rock. There is still something wrong there. Why in all that time did he not think to have a hospital of the same caliber or close constructed in Katsina

That is the fundamental question this President will never be able to answer

Kobojunkie:

He was Governor of Katsina State for 8 Years before Aso Rock. There is still something wrong there. Why in all that time did he not think to have a hospital of the same caliber or close constructed in Katsina

You can't have a world-class hospital in a cesspit of a nation.

Lets say it costs $100m to build one.Remember you have costly maintenance to undertake to retain standards and you also have to hire top notch medical and other personnel to run it.

As a Gov,you also have other issues that are no less important demanding resources.What about providing world class water facilities,what about education,hospitals and clinics throughout the state,e.t.c? At the end,you are left with no choice but to split your meager resources in order to meet the various needs.

Its better to spend $100m across board-building small clinics,schools and water facilities-than to dole out a whopping amount to build a hospital of the same standard as he visits in Europe.Actually,its your kind of thinking that is behind the phenomenon of 'white elephant' projects which dot the landscape of Nigeria.

Hmm
wetin he carry?
enquiring minds want to know