President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo on Wednesday took some time off the weekly meeting of Federal Executive to undergo series of checks conducted on them from a mobile clinic by Consultants from the National Hospital, Abuja to flag off Nigeria National Stroke Prevention Programme.
Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, the Minister of Health told reporters that the President and his deputy’s Body Mass Index, height, weight, blood pressure etc were measured and checked during the exercise as a demonstration of the two leaders’ commitment to encourage Nigerians to undergo periodic checkups as way of reducing incidence of sudden deaths.
He added that the two veins that supply blood to the brain were also tested to ensure that there is no any form of disruption.
According to the Minister, President Jonathan is concerned by the rising incidents of sudden deaths resulting from ailments like diabetes, heart disease, stroke which can be prevented if discovered on time.
Under the National Stroke Prevention Programme, government will not only encourage regular medical checkups, but will also initiate series of activities aimed at creating awareness about healthy lifestyles among Nigerians.
Onyebuchi said the President has already directed that all members of the Federal Executive Council must also undergo medical checkup like he did today and must also be involved in sporting activities to keep fit. He added that the campaign will also be taken to the National Assembly, especially since lawmakers had once called upon government to do something to reduce sudden deaths following the death of some of their members in the past.
VP Sambo also does his own check up
Onyebuchi said though it will cost N50, 000.00 to undergo checks similar to one undertaken by the President today, the Federal Government has put a subsidy arrangement in place that will reduce the cost to N10, 000.00 for indigent Nigerians.The Minister who added that it is not necessary for an individual to undergo all the checks at once, said the subsidy will only be enjoyed by those recommended by Doctors to take all the tests.
Onyebuchi said the subsidy will take effect immediately. He also added that some of the basic tests can be performed at primary healthcare centers while the teaching hospitals can handle the complex ones.
Meanwhile, Onyebuchi has asked the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD to ask its members to return to work. According to him, most of the demands of the Doctors who are presently on strike have been met by the government.
The Minister listed the demands of medical personnel to include lack of training for resident doctors, removal of the Medical Director of Owerri Federal Medical Centre and nonpayment of salaries of House Officers said the National Association of Medical Doctors is not in support of the strike.
He however said it is ironic that the Doctors were complaining about lack of training when President Jonathan was the one who reactivated foreign component of training for Resident Doctors after many years of lack of such opportunity. He said 50 Doctors benefitted from the foreign training in 2012 and the funds for the training for 2013 have been included in the budget of teaching hospitals to decentralize the process.
In the same vein, Onyebuchi said government has asked the doctors to formally write for the removal of the Owerri Medical Centre Medical Director through the Board of the hospital.
He also attributed the delay in the payment of salaries of House Officers to teething problems of the Integrated Payroll System being implemented across the civil service.
But he said the problem is already being tackled and some of the affected House Officers are already receiving their salaries. “We believe that being reasonable people, they should go back to work,” said the Minister.
