Health minister confesses that Buhari travels abroad for healthcare to prevent his details being leaked

HEALTH minister Professor Isaac Adewole has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari opts for medical attention in the UK rather than in Nigeria because he is wary of the details of his private records being made public.

Yesterday, President Buhari returned to Nigeria after a three-day spell in the UK where he had gone to visit his doctors. Arriving back a day earlier than scheduled, the president had been earmarked for a four-day medical trip that would involve him spending time with his doctors who requested that he return to treat an undisclosed ailment that has been nagging him for years.

Last week, President Buhari made a detour to London in the UK on his way back from the US, where it is believed he went to see his doctors and receive medical attention. Following the check-up, his doctors asked him to return for treatment soon and as such, he decided to arrive last week.

In August last year, President Buhari spent 105 days in the UK recovering from this mystery illness, during which time he stayed at Abuja House in London. That was the second lengthy spell he spent outside the country in 2017 and during both periods, he handed over authority to vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

Reacting to criticism of the president's frequent medical trips, Professor Adewole said his choice of foreign medical treatment was not an indictment on the quality of the healthcare in the country. Although he said he could not speak for the president, Professor Adewole mentioned that President Buhari may have opted for foreign doctors in order to protect his privacy, noting that the average Nigerian does not want his medical condition exposed.

In addition, Professor Adewole also absolved President Buhari of any wrongdoing on the basis that he was not the only Nigerian that travels abroad for medical care. President Buhari has come under intense criticism over these medical trips, as the full nature of his ailment has not been revealed, neither has the cost of the expensive treatment.