Many patriotic Africans have complained about the act of seeking medical care outside the continent. Among these personalities is the South African health minister who insisted that it is uncalled for to go abroad for medical treatments leaving the continent hospitals with undergraded equipement. South Africa’s Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, directed his motion to African leaders saying the habit is at the same time creating shooting up health expenditures.
In reaction to this, a speech was delivered during a regional health dialogue organised by the World Health Organisation in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and the Minister said:
“I have said this before and I will say it again: We are the only continent that has its leaders seeking medical services outside the continent, outside our territory. We must be ashamed of that. This is called health tourism. We must promote and develop our health sector to reduce moving outside the continent for treatments.”
He further mentioned some of the leaders that are guilty of this act:
“Some of the leaders widely known to have engaged in this and even reported on foreign media include President Muhammadu Buhari, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Angolan leader Eduardo dos Santos, Benin’s Patrice Talon and Algeria’s Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Nigeria’s president, Mr. Buhari is known to have spent the highest number of days abroad during a single medical leave as he recently returned to Nigeria, after spending 103 days receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment. He had been away for 50 days early this year between January and March.”
Reports confirmed that medical treatment within the continent is less expensive compared to the amount spent outside the continent. Most of the monies lavished on this outside expenses can be used for better things that will add value to the country.
Speaking with an African, Denorah Emile, she said the African leaders should start investing in their countries’ health sector:
“I would say that African leaders should invest more in their health sector so that the number of Africans leaving the continent to receive health care outside will reduce. This will also help the leaders to generate more revenue if this sector is improved and moved to meet up with the expected standard.”
Improving the continent’s health sector is a way of curbing the frequent move to receive health care outside the continent. All the African leaders are expected to invest properly into the sector by establishing good and standard hospitals with great and better equipment for services. This should be the bed rock to reduce the seek for health care outside the continent.
