The Presidency last night explained why the sum of N3.8 billion was set aside in the 2016 Budget for the State House Clinic, Abuja.

A statement by Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) Garba Shehu dismissed reports that the amount is more than the total budget for all Federal Government-owned teaching hospitals in the country this year.

Shehu said: “This report is not simply off the mark but one that is insensitive to the government’s effort to improve medical facilities at home in Nigeria.

“According to the draft 2016 budget presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari, the budget for the State House Clinic is N3.8b.

“Contrary to the published newspaper report, the total for health institutions as given by the Director-General, Budget Office is more than N200 billion. The 17 teaching hospitals have more than 50 percent of that allocation.

“Anyone interested can check out the detailed allocations to the teaching hospitals, the federal medical centers and the specialist hospitals owned by the federal government.

“It is also important to explain that the State House Clinic is not the President, or anyone’s personal clinic but one which looks after government officials and many others who are not.

“The increased spending on government health institutions in the current budget should be seen in the light of the administration’s plan to improve medical facilities at home as a way of discouraging overseas trips in search of treatment by citizens which eat away from our foreign exchange.”

•Photo shows Garba Shehu.

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