Federal Govt. to ban workers from travelling overseas for medical treatment

Prof. Chukwu Onyebuchi, Health Minister

Except on critical cases, workers employed by the government would no longer be allowed to make unnecessary travel abroad for medical treatment, said Minister of Health, Prof. Chukwu Onyebuchi.

Onyebuchi, who was in Benin City to attend the burial ceremony of the late father of President of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele, urged Nigerians and workers in various establishment both in the private and public sectors to take advantage of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to assess the medicare.

He said registering with any NHIS in one’s locality is the best way and that it had been made compulsory.

Briefing journalists on the development at a media parley in Benin City, the minister said it was a presidential directive to obviate capital flight so as to improve the health sector delivery system in the country.

According to him, the directive will be implemented across all federal government establishments, adding, however, that individuals cannot be denied their rights if they have the resources to foot their bills abroad.

Responding to some of the health challenges in the Nigeria, Onyebuchi said a lot was being done to transform the sector and create health care access to the populace, which he noted, the present administration was doing to improve the fortunes of Nigerians from its downward trend.

He explained that some of the statistical figures reported in the media on the challenges in the sector and in comparison with other countries accross the world may not be correct after all, pointing out that as African Union Chairman of Committee of Health Ministers and haven travelled wide, Nigeria is far better off, even as he noted that the major setback in that the country was under reporting.