Buhari’s death abroad diminishes trust in our hospitals – Resident doctors

The President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Tope Osundara, has expressed deep concerns over the implications of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s death in a hospital in the United Kingdom, lamenting that the incident further erodes public trust in Nigeria’s health institutions.

Buhari was confirmed dead on Sunday in a UK hospital, according to his former spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu.

His death comes years after his administration faced widespread criticism for frequent overseas medical trips, even as local hospitals remained underfunded and unequipped.

Reacting to Buhari’s demise, the NARD president in an interview said the former president’s decision to seek care abroad in his final days, despite billions of naira invested in the Nigerian healthcare system during his tenure, sends a dangerous signal about the nation’s failing confidence in its own hospitals.

Osundara stated, “First of all, may the soul of the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, rest in peace. May God grant him eternal rest. That is how we, as an organisation—the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors—extend our condolences.

“Beyond that, if we are going to look into the issue of him dying in a UK hospital, one of the grave consequences of this is that the trust that people will have in our own hospitals is rapidly diminishing. In fact, it is already diminishing. Other people of former President Buhari’s caliber will simply not trust our healthcare institutions anymore.”

He lamented that many of the nation’s tertiary hospitals were built and equipped using public funds, but that continued neglect by the political elite would render them ineffective and unattractive to both Nigerians and potential investors.

“These institutions were funded by Nigerian money, yet if we do not have our top officials, past and present, patronising these hospitals, then there is a serious problem. It will discourage further investment. Government is already underfunding the sector, but even when some funding comes in, it will only yield results when prominent Nigerians patronise the system,” he said.

Osundara said the symbolic patronage of government-owned hospitals by high-ranking political figures could inspire further capital injection into the sector, attract public-private partnerships, and accelerate infrastructure upgrades.

He added, “If people know that the former president or other top officials use our own hospitals, then investors will be more confident in deploying advanced equipment and new technologies here. But now, when your own president, or former president, does not trust the system, how do you expect foreign donors or grant agencies to trust it?”

The NARD president decried the current state of many federal and state hospitals, describing them as dilapidated and packed with obsolete equipment.

According to him, these outdated facilities demoralise healthcare workers, particularly doctors in training, who now consider emigration their only path to job satisfaction and career progression.

“Our institutions are filled with antiquated equipment—machines that other countries have discarded. These are the tools we are expected to work with. That alone is discouraging, especially for Nigerian doctors under training. The system is not encouraging, and it’s depressing for professionals who want to stay and serve this country,” he lamented.

Osundara maintained that the current reliance on foreign hospitals by top Nigerian officials is not only fiscally irresponsible but also economically self-sabotaging.

He stressed, “When these people go abroad, they pay for services. That money could have been used to strengthen our own institutions and pay Nigerian health workers properly. Instead, we are enriching foreign countries while impoverishing our own.”

He insisted that reversing this trend would require more than rhetoric, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make strategic investments in health infrastructure and enforce a national commitment to local patronage.

“The president must ensure proper funding of our hospitals and work with the National Assembly to redirect resources towards revitalising the health sector. Every time someone in power chooses a hospital abroad, they are directly contributing to the collapse of our own system. That cycle must stop,” he noted.

While extending his sympathy once again to the family of the late president, Osundara stressed that the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers to urgently reform and properly fund Nigeria’s struggling healthcare system.

The 82-year-old politician served as military head of state between January 1984 and August 1985.

Buhari was appointed Executive Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund in 1994 by the Sani Abacha regime, overseeing major infrastructure interventions across the country.

He contested the presidency three times unsuccessfully, in 2003, 2007, and 2011, before clinching victory in 2015 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, defeating then-incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.

He was re-elected in 2019 and completed his second term in 2023.

Buhari’s 2015 inauguration marked a turning point in Nigeria’s democratic history, as it was the first time an opposition candidate unseated a sitting president through the ballot.

Throughout his service, he was decorated with several honours including the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, Commander of the Federal Republic, and military medals such as the Defence Service Medal, National Service Medal,and the Forces Service Star.

He also held the Global Seal of Integrity and the Congo Medal.