you some headache: the clinic at Aso Rock does not have the commonest of tabs –
something as common as paracetamol.
And cotton wool? The patient has to
buy from outside. Syringes? Not available. X-ray? Sorry, the machine is out of
order. Ambulance? Well, if the patient can buy the fuel.
This is the
sorry story of the State House Medical Centre, better known as “Aso Villa
Clinic” – for which over N3 billion was budgeted in 2016 and N331 million in
2017.
Like seriously, is this for real?
The facility was established
to cater to the medical needs of the president, vice president, families and
presidential aides. It is supposed to be the first port of call in case of a
health emergency.
According to information on the state house website,
the medical centre is also a training facility for house officers and other
medical personnel.
The centre functions through specialised departments:
peadiatrics, lab medicine, medicine, and obstetric and
gyneacology.
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently in the UK where he
is receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
The BBC listed
him as one of the African presidents who have “apparent lack of faith in the
health systems at home”.
Despite the inadequacies, The Cable understands
that patients still get good consultations at Aso Villa
Clinic.
RENOVATION WITHOUT MEDICATION
“Patients buy syringes
and common drugs like paracetamol are lacking. They are also required to fuel an
ambulance in the case of an emergency,” an outpatient said.
“Patients
admitted in the clinic buy all prescribed drugs from outside the facility. And
in all the wards whether dental or surgical they are required to get the
material for their treatment, even cotton wool.”
The management is
currently renovating some buildings and constructing a new block at the
facility, but patients have to go to other hospitals if they want to have an
X-ray done.
When called for comment, Femi Adesina, presidential
spokesman, referred TheCable to Laolu Akande, media aide to the acting
president, but calls to his mobile line did not go through.
Calls and
text messages to the mobile line of Jalal Arabi, the state house permanent
secretary, were also not replied.
‘CENTRE OF
EXCELLENCE’
Defending the N3.219 billion earmarked for the medical
centre in the 2016 budget, Arabi had told a senate committee that the proposals
included the completion of ongoing work as well as procurement of drugs and
other medical equipment.
“The medical centre provides health care
treatment for the president and vice-president, their families as well as
numerous civil servants working in the state house and across the ministries,
departments and agencies of government and of course, with due respect,
including parliamentarians and members of the legislature in addition to other
notable dignitaries,” he said.
“Interestingly, Mr. Chairman, on a lighter
note, not only those that have been captured here attend (the medical centre)
there are poor of the poorest that attend because we receive reference from
Gwagwalada, Garki, Wuse hospitals.
“So, if they come, we attend to them
and interestingly too at no fee at all, we don’t charge.
“The anticipated
improvement of the medical centre will propel it to serve as a centre of
excellence and also reduce medical tourism.”
Centre of excellence? To the
patients, that may be a sickening description.
