Garba Shehu, former media aide to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, has publicly disagreed with his former colleague, Femi Adesina, regarding the late president's frequent medical trips abroad.
Speaking on Channels Television's program 'Inside Sources', Shehu clarified that Buhari's regular medical trips overseas were not a rejection of Nigeria's healthcare system but rather a matter of personal preference.
This statement comes in direct response to Adesina's earlier claim that Nigerian hospitals lacked the capacity to treat the then-President, suggesting that Buhari would have died much earlier had he relied solely on Nigerian medical facilities.
"I think it is wrong to assume that he fenced himself off from the Nigerian medical system," Shehu stated during the interview. "He had a Nigerian doctor — a chief personal physician and a State House Clinic, also led by a medical consultant, a distinguished doctor of many years of practice."
Shehu emphasized that the late former President's medical team was consistently available to address his immediate health needs. While acknowledging Buhari's regular trips abroad for treatment, he attributed this to the President's longstanding medical relationships overseas rather than a lack of confidence in Nigerian healthcare.
The former presidential aide also highlighted the global presence of Nigerian-trained doctors, noting that their competence is recognized worldwide — an indirect defense of the quality of Nigerian medical expertise.
This disagreement between two former close aides to President Buhari offers a glimpse into differing perspectives within his inner circle regarding his healthcare choices during his presidency.
The debate touches on the broader issue of medical tourism among Nigerian officials and elites, which has remained a contentious topic in discussions about healthcare development in the country.
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