Health Sector Budget Exceeds N200 Billion – FG

The Federal government disclosed that the fund allocated to health in the 2016 budget is above N200 billion contrary to an online medium report which claimed that the N3.8 billion allocated to Aso Rock Clinic was more than money allocated to all teaching hospitals.

According to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, the 2016 budget presented to the National Assembly contains N3.8 billion for the State House Clinic.

 “Contrary to the published newspaper report, the total for health institutions as given by the Director-General, Budget Office is more than N200 billion. The 17 teaching hospitals have more than 50 per cent of that allocation.

“Anyone interested can check out the detailed allocations to the teaching hospitals, the federal medical centres and the specialist hospitals owned by the federal government.

“It is also important to explain that the State House Clinic is not the President, or anyone’s personal clinic but one which looks after government officials and many others who are not.

“The increased spending on government health institutions in the current budget should be seen in the light of the administration’s plan to improve medical facilities at home as a way of discouraging overseas trips in search of treatment by citizens which eat away from our foreign exchange.” He said.