NIGERIA: Former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has sparked public debate after an Indian hospital featured footage of him in promotional material following his knee replacement surgery.
Abubakar underwent total knee replacement at Krishna Shalby Hospital in Ahmedabad, India, where footage showing his treatment and recovery was subsequently used in promotional content by the facility, reports Daily Sun.
The hospital specialises in joint replacement and other orthopaedic procedures and operates an international patient service catering to patients from different countries.
The promotional material has triggered reactions from Nigerians, with the development reviving debate over medical tourism and the state of Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Activist and 2027 presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore was among those who criticised the development after sharing the promotional footage.
“This is former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, being used in a hospital advert after undergoing knee replacement surgery in India,” Sowore said.
He questioned why Nigerian leaders who had opportunities to influence the country’s healthcare system while in office continue to seek specialised treatment abroad.
“These so-called ‘experienced leaders’ had every opportunity while in power to build first-class healthcare facilities in Nigeria,” Sowore said.
“Yet, in old age, they travel abroad for the very medical care they failed to make adequately available at home and can even end up as advertisements for foreign hospitals,” he added.
Sowore also referenced President Bola Tinubu, saying, “At this rate, perhaps one day a hospital in France will be using a Nigerian president, Tinubu for its adverts.”
He described the development as “a tragic indictment of decades of failed leadership and neglect of Nigeria’s healthcare system.”
Lawyer Aloy Ejimakor also questioned the use of Abubakar’s image in the hospital’s promotional material, describing the development as an issue deserving public scrutiny.
Beyond the political reactions, the episode has renewed discussion about the extent to which Nigerians, including prominent public figures, travel abroad for specialised medical treatment.
It has also raised questions about the circumstances under which Abubakar’s treatment and recovery were filmed and subsequently used for promotional purposes, particularly whether appropriate consent was obtained for the use of his image in the hospital’s marketing campaign.
The development comes amid longstanding concerns over Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure and the continued flow of Nigerians seeking specialised treatment outside the country.
