President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, kicked against Nigerians travelling abroad for medical treatment and assured citizens that efforts are being made to turn the health sector around for good.
Buhari, who stated this at the commissioning ceremony of Nigerian Air Force Reference Hospital, Daura, Katsina State, said dependence on foreign countries for medical treatment could be reduced by turning around the health sector in the country. He added:
“To achieve this, we must now redouble efforts to focus on providing more efficient funding of the health sector, improve sanitation and hygiene, and increase access to medicare in the rural areas in order to save lives of millions of Nigerians.
The president also said that health services in the rural areas deserved more attention.
He said the Federal Government would redoubled efforts to improve health facilities, equipment and services in the country, listing people living in rural areas as top priority for better health services.
Buhari said the Federal Government had, in the last four years, invested resources in the health sector, with increased budgetary allocation from N259 billion in 2015 to over N340 billion in 2018.