Most Reverend Alfred Adewale Martins, the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, has said that the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari in a London hospital, remains a stark reminder of the urgent need to overhaul Nigeria’s ailing healthcare system.
The cleric expressing the hope that the development would inspire meaningful reforms in the nation’s health sector.
Archbishop Martins, who stated these in a condolence message on the passing of Buhari on Tuesday, expressed sorrow over Buhari’s death, stressing however that the incident once again exposed and called to question, the overreliance of Nigeria’s political ruling class on foreign medical care.
He particularly said that the unfortunate trend not only places financial strain on those who can afford foreign care, but also leaves millions of ordinary Nigerians feeling abandoned in a system where treatable conditions often become fatal due to lack of access to proper care.
Archbishop Martins noted that the fact that two Nigerian presidents have died abroad in recent history remains a “national disgrace,” emphasising that it was an irony that leaders often fail to fix the nation’s healthcare system which they expect citizens to rely on.
He said; “If the First Lady could lament the state of the State House Clinic during their time in office, one can only imagine the condition of clinics and hospitals meant for the ordinary Nigerian”.
Martins specifically expressed concern over the increasing wave of brain drain in Nigeria’s medical sector, saying that it was sad that many trained professionals were leaving the country for better opportunities abroad.
In his words; “Ironically, many Nigerians particularly the ruling political class seeking treatment overseas are often treated by the same Nigerian doctors that left the country as a result of poor working conditions at home.
“The death of President Buhari should ginger our governments to act strategically and urgently to improve healthcare delivery in the country. It should also prompt a serious national dialogue on how to reverse the brain drain that continues to impoverish our health system,” he said.
Archbishop Martins prayed for the peaceful repose of late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s soul and also prayed God to comfort the family he left behind as well as all those mourning his death.
