By Ado Oyeyemi
An Indian hospital has featured former Nigerian military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), in an online promotional campaign for its orthopaedic services after he underwent knee replacement surgery at the facility.
Krishna Shalby Hospital in Ahmedabad, India, shared videos and photographs of the former leader undergoing treatment and rehabilitation as part of a campaign promoting its medical services to international patients.
The promotional material, tagged “A milestone in international care” and “Clinical Excellence Beyond Borders,” showed Abubakar during physiotherapy sessions and exercises with a nurse at the hospital.
The hospital also published images of some of the former military leader’s associates, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, who visited the facility.
In another video, the hospital said Shettima met with one of its doctors, Vikram Shah, to discuss Abubakar’s condition, describing the visit as evidence of growing confidence in India’s healthcare system.
Shettima also reportedly signed the hospital’s register, thanking Shah for taking care of Abubakar and helping restore the former leader’s vitality.
It was not immediately clear whether Abubakar gave consent for details of his treatment and recovery to be used in the hospital’s promotional materials.
Abubakar had previously disclosed suffering from a knee problem. In June 2022, he cancelled activities planned for his 80th birthday after experiencing severe swelling in his knee that left him unable to walk for several days.
He subsequently told TheCable that his doctors had advised him to seek specialist treatment abroad, leading to the cancellation of the birthday programme.
The hospital’s decision to feature the former Nigerian leader in its promotional campaign has since generated reactions online, with some Nigerians using the development to renew criticism of the country’s healthcare system and the reliance of political leaders and wealthy Nigerians on medical treatment abroad.
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Some commentators argued that Nigeria has medical professionals capable of handling procedures such as knee replacement, while others criticised successive governments for failing to develop healthcare facilities to a standard that would reduce medical tourism.
