Aisha Buhari Calls For Probe Of Aso Rock Clinic Budget

The Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari on Monday carpeted the health care delivery system in the country and called for a probe of the budget utilisation at the State House Clinic which she said lacks basic equipment for medicare.

Mrs Buhari expressed the views at the stakeholders meeting on Reproductive, Maternal, New Born, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH and N) in Abuja.

“I would like to be realistic to say a few words concerning healthcare delivery system in Nigeria. It is very poor, sorry to say that,” President’s wife said at the event also used to inaugurate the Governors Wives Advocacy Group (GWAG) on reproductive health in the country.

She added, “I am happy that the MD of Aso Clinic is here. Dr Manir, I am happy that you are here. As you are aware for the past six months Nigeria was not stable because of my husband’s ill health. We thank God that he has fully recovered now. If somebody like Mr President can spend several months outside Nigeria, you wonder what will happen to a common man on the street in Nigeria.

“Few weeks ago I was sick as well; they advised me to take a first flight to London; I refused to go. I said I must be treated in Nigeria because there is a budget for an assigned clinic to take care of us. If the budget was N100 million, we need to know the way the budget is spent. And along the line I insisted; they called Aso clinic to find out if their X-ray machine was working, they said it was not working. They didn’t know that I was the person that was to be at that hospital at that very time.

“I had to go to a hospital that was established by foreigners in and out 100 per cent. What does that mean? I think it is high time for us to do the right thing.

The Wife of the President noted that if something like that happened to her, there was no need to ask the governors wives what the situation was in their states.

She said Abuja was the highest seat of government and the incident was about the Presidential Villa.

Mrs Buhari acknowledged that Nigeria had very good health policies, the best in Africa.

“Yes of course we have (policies) but implementation is always the problem. So we need to change our mindset and do the right thing,” she said.

She stated that a lot of constructions were on-going at Aso Clinic while the hospital lacked basic medical equipment and tools.

“There are lots of constructions going on in that hospital but there is no single syringe there; what does that mean? Who will use the building? So we have to be good in reasoning; you are building and there is no equipment, no consumables in that hospital and the constructions are still going on,” she queried.

She expressed that as a result of the president’s absence on medical vacation, “a 40-year-old man who is still living in his father’s house created a state out of a state and that is a major setback to the country.

“I hope that such a thing will not be repeated,” she stated.

Mrs Buhari appreciated the wives of the governors and other stakeholders for attending the event as an attestation of the importance they attached to the issue of maternal and child health.

She said it was sad to know that Nigeria was one of the countries with the worst health records for children and women in spite of the efforts of the past, adding that more needed to be done.

She explained that that informed her Future Assured Initiative two years ago to champion the well-being of women and children.

She acknowledged the support of all stakeholders for their continued support.

“We are here today to build our alliances that will help strengthen our advocacy for reproductive, maternal, new born, child, adolescent health and nutrition at the state level.

“By creating a strong coalition, we will increase awareness on the importance of improving RMNCAH and Nutrition, promote advocacy for better service delivery and increase the utilization of RMNCAH and Nutrition services,” she noted.

She expressed optimism that the Governors Wives Coalition established at the event would provide a platform for them to lend a strong voice for improving the health status of women and children in the country.

Mrs Buhari urged the governors’ wives to champion the cause of advocacy to support the RMNCAH and N programmes in their various states.

She advised them to dedicate a section of the Governors’ wives forum meeting agenda to update themselves on the progress of the advocacy in their various states.

She also called on developmental partners, international agencies, the private sector, government  and all stakeholders to provide support to the all the activities of the just established Governors wives coalition in the states and the FCT.

Earlier the Minister of health Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole had decried the fact that less than 10% of Nigerian women have skilled birth attendants which is important in reducing maternal mortality.

He thanked Mrs Buhari for her dedication through her non governmental organisation, Future Assured in helping them to deliver on their mandate concerning health to Nigerians.

The representative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Paul Basinga said some of their cardinal points are to ensure young people survive and thrive, ensure women and newborns remain healthy during pregnancy and childbirth, stating that Investing in women has a ripple effect.

Two years ago, Mrs Buhari committed herself to championing the cause of improving the health and well being of women and children in Nigeria.

At the event that was also attended by Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, the wife of the vice president, Mrs. Buhari later donated a floor of the three-storey building of the Future Assured Centre in Wuse Abuja to the Women for the purpose of the advocacy.