Senator Gershom Bassey, Chairman of the Cross River State Caucus in the National Assembly, wants the federal government to establish six special hospitals, one in each of the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Bassey, the National Assembly representative for the Southern Senatorial District, stated that special hospitals would improve healthcare delivery and promote medical tourism in Nigeria.
In a phone interview on Sunday, Bassey stated that the Navy Reference Hospital in Calabar, which was recently established by the federal government, is just one of the special hospitals he is referring to.
According to the senator, the time has come for Nigeria to raise the country’s healthcare system to international standards.
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The senator stated that he does not agree with the idea of prohibiting political office holders, including the president, from traveling abroad for medical treatment in order to improve our health-care system, stating that “it is unconstitutional; however, I would expect that if facilities are available and meet international standards, then all leaders, beginning with whoever is the sitting President, would lead by example by patronizing such facilities.”
The senator also spoke more about the Navy Hospital and the need for adequate funding. “We can make it the equivalent of the Walter Reed Hospital in the United States,” he said. This is the only hospital that all of us presidents use. So, with the situation involving some of our top government officials, it may be possible to stem the tide of medical tourism….
“I’m wondering if the hospital is funded by the Navy, the Ministry of Health, or is it run as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP)?” Because I’ve had reason to take people there, and everything is fantastic, from the gate of the hospital to where you’re having surgery, and it’s one of the best in Nigeria that I’ve been to. My question is, are we keeping an eye on it and providing funding for it because it needs to be supported, funded, and encouraged?”
