The London Clinic, a highly prestigious private hospital in the United Kingdom, has attracted attention after Nigeria's former President, Muhammadu Buhari, passed away at the institution last Sunday.
Buhari and former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, were both hospitalized. Although Abubakar recovered and was released, Buhari passed away on Sunday, July 13, 2025.
As per his nephew, Mamman Daura, Buhari was in a cheerful mood on Saturday, July 12, and was preparing for release before experiencing a setback at midday on Sunday.
"I left him at around 9 pm on Saturday in a very good mood and promised to meet him on Sunday afternoon. He was excited about his doctor's appointment on Sunday morning. However, around midday, he began experiencing difficulty breathing, and the medical team quickly came to assist him. Unfortunately, by approximately 4:30 pm, he passed away," Daura said.ThisDay.
Buhari was said to have gone to the UK in April for a regular health examination, but then became unwell.
The reason for his death was not revealed, although he had experienced health issues for several years.
As per family sources, Buhari was admitted to The London Clinic and spent time in the Intensive Care Unit.
The passing of the individual was disclosed by his ex-spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, on Sunday afternoon.
Shehu stated, "The family of the former president has declared the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon at a clinic in London. May Allah welcome him into Aljannatul Firdaus."
Not long after the announcement of his death, videos appeared on the internet depicting the former President's children and other family members visiting The London Clinic, located in the center of London's medical area on Harley Street, where he was reportedly receiving treatment prior to his demise.
Although the precise length of the former President's hospital stay is not clear, it has been reported that Buhari has been in London since April for a regular health examination.
The London Clinic
Established in 1932, The London Clinic is among the biggest private hospitals in the United Kingdom, recognized for its specialization in cancer treatment, gastrointestinal health, orthopedic procedures, and plastic and cosmetic surgery.
According to its website, the facility features 13 intensive care beds, 10 operating rooms, five Macmillan Cancer Support Centres, around 900 surgeons and doctors, and serves more than 120,000 patients from different countries each year.
The hospital specializes in: cancer treatment, blood disorders, orthopaedics with an emphasis on spinal procedures, along with gastroenterology, general surgery, eye care, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) services, neurosurgery, robotic surgery, minimally invasive techniques, and critical care.
The London Clinic has provided medical care to thousands of patients from various countries, including political figures and members of the British royal family.
In the hospital's 2021 yearly financial statement reviewed bySaturday PUNCH, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Hamish Leslie Melville, stated, “Our group of more than 900 top consultants, surgeons, and doctors offer a wide variety of medical and surgical procedures. Our inpatient and outpatient medical services concentrate on three main areas: cancer treatments, general surgery with an emphasis on digestive disorders, and musculoskeletal issues.”
Speaking with Saturday PUNCHsubject to anonymity for personal reasons, a Nigerian physician based in the UK, who is acquainted with the hospital's activities, characterized it as an establishment featuring state-of-the-art equipment, a prominent patient base, and top-tier medical skills.
He stated that patients are charged between £100 and £750 for appointments, based on the intricacy of their condition.
A Nigerian physician, who mentioned having known two other Nigerian doctors who previously worked at the hospital, stated that he is informed that a Computed Tomography scan (CT Scan) at the facility costs approximately £500, with major operations costing between £10,000 and £13,000.
Regarding lodging, the cost is also divided into different levels. A regular room costs between £1,000 and £1,800 per night. A luxury or VIP room ranges from £1,800 to £2,500 per night; meanwhile, admission to the Intensive Care Unit is approximately £3,000 to £3,500 per night," he mentioned.
"The clinic is recognized for its cutting-edge technology, specialized treatments, and expert staff. It serves as a center for complicated and high-risk medical situations," he mentioned.
The physician mentioned that the two renowned Nigerian experts who previously worked at the hospital were an orthopaedic surgeon and a respiratory specialist.
Another Nigerian physician based in the UK statedSaturday PUNCHthat the hospital's exceptional level of treatment is costly.
As per the female physician, the clinic primarily serves the ultra-wealthy, noting that clients are billed thousands of pounds each day for exclusive services, especially in critical care and private rooms, where confidentiality, opulence, and high-quality medical care are assured.
"It is the top and biggest private clinic in the United Kingdom. It specializes in surgery, robotic surgery, ear, nose, and throat surgery, plastic surgery, and offers the highest level of specialized services," she stated.
She mentioned that the hospital is equipped with advanced robotic surgical technologies such as the da Vinci Xi, ExcelsiusGPS, and NAVIO, along with a 3T Siemens MRI, various CT scanners, PET-CT, ultrasound, digital mammography, and other state-of-the-art diagnostic systems.
Regarding personnel and knowledge, the physician stated, "The clinic has a remarkable team of experts including well-known specialist consultants, most of whom are Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons and have further advanced qualifications."
Nevertheless, a study from the National Institutes of Health, as viewed bySaturday PUNCH, the price of a bed in the general ward is approximately £586.59 per day.
The report stated, 'These costs might not cover additional fees or charges related to your particular treatment plan.'
Regarding its ICU, the clinic stated on its website, “Our average Standard Mortality Rate is approximately 0.7, which the Critical Care Peer Review indicates would place the unit in the top 10% nationally,” and has consistently kept low mortality rates, all of which are examined during Mortality and Morbidity Meetings at the clinic.
It noted that, "Patient Experience feedback keeps showing 95-100% satisfaction with their treatment throughout the MDT, with many comments and praises highlighting the excellence in staff behavior, care, and compassion, as well as acknowledgment of specialized surgical support and rehabilitation."
Findings by Saturday PUNCHdemonstrated that The London Clinic offers facilities for international patients whose treatment is funded by their respective governments, embassies, or corporations.
Although the Federal Government has not yet verified if it paid for Buhari's medical treatment in London, the Remuneration of Former Presidents and Heads of State (and Other Ancillary Matters) Act mandates the government to cover the medical costs of former presidents and their close relatives. This includes treatment both inside Nigeria and, if required, overseas.
High-cost medical tourism
In 2021, President Buhari gave the go-ahead for the development and furnishing of a 14-bed Presidential (VIP) Wing at the State House Clinic, located within the Presidential Villa, at a price tag of N21bn.
As of March 2022, the government stated that it had allocated N10.06bn for the construction of the N21bn clinic.
While addressing the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Permanent Secretary at the State House, Tijanni Umar, stated that the clinic was 80 percent complete.
Umar mentioned that the project would be completed by the end of December 2022, or at the latest, within the first quarter of 2023.
However, President Bola Tinubu, who succeeded Buhari, has kept making international medical trips, primarily to France, spending millions of naira from public money.
The first documented medical journey of Tinubu to France took place soon after his election in March 2023, when he was transported to the country for medical care following a demanding campaign period.
However, findings by Saturday PUNCHit was disclosed that the Federal Government might have allocated at least N13.4bn for international medical journeys and travel related to former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari, Goodluck Jonathan, and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua during a 16-year span.
Most of the expenses, sourced from yearly State House budgets from 2007 to 2022, were used for numerous trips to foreign hospitals and diplomatic missions in at least 40 countries.
During his eight-year term, Buhari has spent a minimum of 225 days abroad for medical reasons, having traveled to at least 40 countries since 2015.
Six months following his inauguration, the ex-president undertook his initial medical journey to London, United Kingdom, on February 5, 2016, remaining for a period of six days.
His second medical journey took place four months later, on June 6, 2016, when he spent 10 days addressing an unknown ear infection.
On January 19, 2017, Buhari began his second extended medical journey to London, remaining there for 50 days.
In May of that same year, just two months after his previous journey, he came back to London for what turned out to be his most extended medical stay, which lasted 104 days.
He did not go back to the UK for medical reasons again until May 2018, when he stayed for four days for a follow-up assessment.
In March 2021, Buhari traveled to London once more for a "routine medical examination," as stated by the Presidency, which took place over 15 days.
His exit occurred during a labor crisis in the healthcare industry, when members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors began an open-ended strike due to unpaid allowances.
Approximately a year later, on March 6, 2022, the former president returned to London for health-related purposes. This visit lasted 12 days.
On October 31, 2022, Buhari left Owerri, the capital of Imo State, for London to undergo another medical examination that took approximately two weeks. He came back to the country on November 13, 2022.
Previous presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, regularly supported Buhari's overseas medical journeys, mentioning that he "has relied on the same medical team for nearly four decades."
In a recent interview after Buhari's passing, Adesina stated: "If he had claimed he would undergo his medical treatments in Nigeria just for display, he might have been dead long ago."
Buhari traveled to 40 nations on 84 separate occasions throughout his tenure.
From 2016 to 2022, the State House spent a total of N6bn on his international trips, with many of these overseas journeys related to medical purposes.
Nevertheless, Buhari was not the initial Nigerian leader to be away from the country for extended durations due to medical or official reasons.
The former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua made at least four international medical journeys to Germany and Saudi Arabia, as well as a significant official trip to the United States.
During his 32-month tenure, he spent a total of 109 days abroad for medical care.
From 2007 to 2009, the State House provided N2.4bn for global trips during Yar’adua's leadership, some of which was used for health-related expenses.
Good luck Jonathan, who took over from Yar’adua, made many international visits between 2010 and 2015.
He spent a minimum of 45 days abroad in 2012, making 18 trips to different locations in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America.
During his five-year tenure, the Federal Government provided a total of N4.9bn to support his overseas trips and transportation.
NMA, MDCAN, NARD kick
In the meantime, the Nigerian Medical Association, the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors have expressed disapproval of political leaders who regularly pursue medical treatment overseas while ignoring the nation's healthcare infrastructure.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, the President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Tope Osundara, characterized the trend as not only discouraging but also a criticism of Nigerian leaders' funding in the sector they are supposed to support.
Osundara voiced frustration that Nigerian leaders still favor foreign hospitals even though there are annual funds set aside for local medical centers such as the State House Clinic.
It's similar to establishing a business, allocating resources to it, and then declining to use the product while advising others to have faith in it. This highlights that there is something seriously wrong with the system and the individuals responsible for its management.
There was a period when the former president, Muhammad Buhari, expressed views advocating for the elimination of medical tourism. However, tragically, he ended up being among the first to seek treatment abroad before his death. Interestingly, even a former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, revealed that both he and Buhari were hospitalized in London just before Buhari's passing. This highlights the poor state of Nigeria's healthcare system.
The head of NARD remarked on the irony of Nigeria promoting universal health coverage, given that the nation's leaders "are not using the facilities available."
"You're urging people to come and purchase something, yet you aren't consuming the products you're promoting. This implies you're offering them poison; if you weren't, you should be capable of taking those pills yourself, and that's when people would trust you," Osundara stated.
The head of NARD also condemned Adesina, Buhari's former spokesperson, for his recent comments.
"It's regrettable that such statements originated from someone who worked as a media assistant to the late President. When you claim Buhari would have died if he had used a Nigerian hospital, you are essentially implying that Nigerian doctors are ineffective. That is a misleading and harmful story," Osundara stated.
He remembered that during Buhari's tenure, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo became unwell and received effective treatment in Nigeria.
"We have skilled professionals capable of delivering proper care, whether in the private sector or public hospitals. If those in positions of authority cannot trust the system they are creating, it leads to significant doubts about why medical tourism persists despite ongoing efforts to discourage it," he added.
He mentioned that not trusting and supporting the country's health system not only discourages medical professionals but also contributes to the loss of skilled workers. He added, "Nigeria is losing billions to foreign hospitals. Rather than strengthening local capabilities, we are helping other countries' healthcare systems with our citizens' money."
From his side, the President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Bala Audu, highlighted that although people have the freedom to obtain treatment anywhere they prefer, the ongoing tendency of public officials to use foreign hospitals, even with Nigeria's financial support for local healthcare, indicates a clear misalignment of priorities.
He stated, "Healthcare is a personal issue, and individuals tend to follow their doctors wherever they go, even across countries if they can afford it. However, when public officials responsible for enhancing our healthcare system repeatedly choose foreign hospitals, it raises significant questions. This behavior reflects a lack of confidence in the system they are meant to support and develop."
We must reorganize our public hospitals to address three main concerns. First, staffing. The government should focus on doctors and nurses. If these two groups of medical professionals are available, issues will be resolved. Second, we require proper equipment and its upkeep. Third, the overall working environment should be made suitable for doctors and nurses.
Nigerian physicians and nurses are exerting great effort. Some doctors remain in the hospital for seven full days, working around the clock. The same applies to our nurses.
In response to Adesina's statement, Audu pointed out that his comments unintentionally undermined Nigerian medical practitioners.
"If his (Adesina) suggestion is that living longer is solely achieved by traveling overseas, then that is not only unscientific, but also highly offensive to the numerous skilled Nigerian doctors and nurses who are saving lives daily under challenging circumstances," he stated.
Audu highlighted that Nigerian healthcare workers are internationally recognized for their skills and dedication, particularly when provided with the right resources.
"The matter has never revolved around skill. Nigerian doctors and nurses are considered some of the finest globally. The actual challenge lies in insufficient facilities and machinery, especially within government hospitals," he mentioned.
From his side, the President of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad, stated that although leaders and citizens have the right to pursue treatment overseas if they wish, it would be preferable for Nigerian hospitals to be improved and furnished to manage all types of medical care.
Muhammad highlighted the importance of steady government funding for local healthcare systems, noting that each citizen should have access to all necessary medical services for their condition.
The message we are conveying is that the government should consistently make efforts to enable citizens to access all levels of healthcare services that their health needs demand.
"The government ought to supply the equipment and infrastructure we require here, and if they oppose medical tourism, they should remain here for their treatment," he stated.
He urged the Federal Government to not only enhance public hospitals but also to foster the development of private super-specialty institutions inside the nation.
"The Federal Government should, besides building government hospitals, establish a supportive environment that promotes the growth of super-specialty private hospitals, thereby addressing the shortcomings of public hospitals," he stated.
He also called on the government to implement approaches seen in nations such as India and Egypt, where targeted assistance, including tax exemptions, import duty relief, and easy access to financing, has enabled private hospitals to become internationally renowned centers of excellence.
He stated that these investments would minimize foreign currency losses, increase job opportunities, and improve local healthcare services.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
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