South Africa’s Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, on Monday scolded African leaders who seek medical care away from the continent, saying the culture has become a major drain on their countries health expenditures.
The minister said it was shameful that African leaders frequently seek medical care abroad while most of their citizens grapple with substandard facilities at home.
“I have said this before and I will say it again: We are the only continent that has its leaders seeking medical services outside the continent, outside our territory,” Zimbabwe’s NewsDay Newspaper reported Mr. Motsoaleda as saying.
“We must be ashamed of that. This is called health tourism. We must promote our own,” he added.
Mr. Motsoaledi’s comments came when he delivered a speech at a regional health dialogue organised by the World Health Organisation in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Several African leaders, including President Muhammadu Buhari, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Angolan leader Eduardo dos Santos, Benin’s Patrice Talon and Algeria’s Abdelaziz Bouteflika, have sought medical care outside the continent in recent months, according to the BBC.
Mr. Mugabe, 93, who had used his open remarks to lament low investment in health sector on the continent reportedly left before Mr. Motsoaleda’s speech.
Among the African leaders, Mr. Buhari is known to have spent the highest number of days abroad during a single medical leave.
Similarly, Angola’s President dos Santos also rebuffed all demands for him to disclose the nature of his illness, despite the state picking his medical bills abroad.
Algeria’s long-sitting president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, also recently received medical treatment abroad, the BBC reported.