The former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has berated politicians for their love of foreign doctors and medical tourism.
Sani said this via his verified Twitter handle, stating that the Presidential Wing of the State House Clinic, which is undergoing an upgrade, would not stop the obsession with foreign doctors and clinics.
He wrote, “No matter how much is spent to upgrade and equip the Presidential Clinic, it will never change their obsession with foreign Doctors and foreign clinics.”
On Monday, November 1, the president’s Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, inaugurated the construction of the State House Clinic Presidential Wing.
Before the inauguration, the Permanent Secretary, State House, Umar Tijjani, had disclosed that the President had approved the construction and equipping of a 14-bed space presidential clinic at a cost of N21bn.
Tijani stated this when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, to present his 2022 budget proposal for consideration.
He explained that the construction firm, Messrs Julius Berger Nigeria, is to construct the VIP clinic.
He said the physical construction would start on November 1, 2021 and would be inaugurated on December 31, 2022.
The Permanent Secretary explained that the Presidential Clinic would contain 14-bed facilities with a total area of 2,700 square metres.
He added that there would be an underground, first floor, two operating theatres, two executive suites, two VIP wards, two Isolation wards and a six-bed isolation area in the building.
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He further explained that there would be laboratory, healing garden, pharmacy, and X-ray facility in the clinic.
He said,” The project was conceived in 2012 by the previous administration and the brief was processed.
“It was estimated to cost about N21bn and the facility contains 14-bed space with a total area of 2, 700 square meters, there will be underground and first floor.
“Most of the preliminary works had been concluded. Mr President has approved the project. We have gone to the Bureau of Public Procurement to get a Certificate of No Objection.”
He told the committee that JBN was picked as the contractor because it built the State House and had been maintaining it since 1990.
“JBN has done a great job, and it was considered because of security reasons.”
He said the clinic would also be open to other African countries for medical treatment.
One of the members of the committee, Senator Nicolas Tofowomo, expressed dissatisfaction with the failure of the Permanent Secretary to show the committee any pictorial view of the hospital.
However, some other members of the committee led by the Chairman, Senator Danjuma La’ah, commended the initiative of the Federal Government for constructing and equipping the Presidential Wing of the State House Clinic.
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