South African Minister mocks African leaders seeking medical treatment abroad

South Africa’s health minister Aaron Motsoaledi has criticised African leaders for seeking medical treatment abroad.

Speaking in Zimbabwe at a World Health Organization meeting of African health ministers, Motsoaledi said Africa must be the only continent where the leaders travel abroad for health reasons.

He was addressing the conference hours after President Robert Mugabe, who himself makes regular trips to Singapore for eye treatment, opened the meeting.

President Mugabe had left the event by the time Mr Motsoaledi spoke.

In the past year, five African heads of state have gone overseas for medical reasons. Health campaigns have regularly criticized these foreign trips arguing that they undermine the health service at home.