Weaponisation of healthcare could intimidate doctors, worsen brain drain — El-Rufai’s wife

Asiya El-Rufai, a lawyer and wife of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has voiced strong concerns about the potential negative impacts of using healthcare services as a tool for intimidation. She specifically highlighted the risk of exacerbating the brain drain of medical professionals from Nigeria.

Her comments came in the wake of the arrest of Bello Abubakar, who served as her husband's personal physician. El-Rufai suggested that such actions could create a climate of fear within the medical community. This fear, she argued, might compel doctors and other healthcare workers to leave the country in search of more secure and professional environments, thereby worsening the existing shortage of skilled medical personnel.

El-Rufai's perspective underscores a critical issue facing Nigeria's healthcare sector. The weaponization of healthcare, as she described it, implies using medical access or personnel for political or personal vendettas. This practice, she warned, not only threatens the well-being of individuals but also undermines the stability and capacity of the entire healthcare system by discouraging professionals from serving within the country.