‘Nigerians Don’t Respect People’s Right To Privacy’, Health Minister Defends Buhari’s Medical Trips

Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, says Nigeria’s inability to handle private and confidential information is part of the reasons President Muhammadu Buhari travels abroad for medical treatment.

Speaking in an interview with THISDAY, Adewole was reacting to criticisms against the President’s frequent medical trips abroad.

Recall that Mr Buhari returned to the country on Friday after a three-day medical trip to London.

The President in 2017 spent more than 100 days in the British capital for “undisclosed” medical issues.

The health minister, who described Nigeria as a “strange country”, said President Buhari is an individual who is entitled to his privacy.

He further stated that Nigeria as a country cannot handle confidential information and do not have “respect people’s right to privacy”.

“You have forgotten that as our president, he is also an individual. Unfortunately, we still, as a country, we cannot handle information,” the minister said.

“The president’s son was operated; they said he was dead. You see, it is a strange country; and so, we do not respect people’s right to privacy and confidentiality. We also have no respect for doctor-patient relationship.

“The same person who went abroad was the same person who said, let my son be managed in Nigeria. I was at the centre; people said let the boy be flown abroad. The president said no. All he asked was, ‘Can they manage him in Nigeria?’ I said, yes, and he said, ‘Go ahead’.

“He is committed to improving the health sector, and working hard to make it something everybody would be proud of. But you know doing this would not happen overnight.

“So, let’s not over flog it. To me, it’s a non-issue. Like the upgrade we are doing for cancer, it has taken us almost one year because things have to be properly done. You can’t buy a radiotherapy machine if there is no proper assessment.

“So upgrading the health facility, he is committed to that. But it’s not going to happen immediately. And we are working hard to make sure that things are in proper shape.”