Osun govt kicks-starts hospitals revitalisation

The Osun State government yesterday started the rehabilitation and revitalisation of hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the state.

The formal ceremony was held in Ejigbo where about N300 million will be spent to turn around the hospital, provide equipment, drugs and engage personnel.

The 3.2-kilometre road from the centre of the state capital, Osogbo, to the University of Osun campus, passing through the hospital gate, will also be rehabilitated.

There will also be provision of water, staff quarters for doctors and medical officers and landscaping of the hospital.

Work also began yesterday on the general hospital in Ifetedo in Ife South Local Government Area.

Governor Gboyega Oyetola said: “Ejigbo General Hospital will not only be rehabilitated but will also be upgraded and fully revitalised. It will have full complement of state-of-the-art equipment, new children’s ward and medical personnel quarters.”

The contractor was given three months to deliver the project.

The governor said his administration remained resolute to building healthy citizens that will contribute productively to the socio-economic development of the state.

Having been named the second in World Bank’s Save One Million Lives (SOML) initiative, Osun State got $20.547 million from the fund.

Oyetola promised judicious use of the money, saying: “Because quality healthcare is one of the cardinal programmes of our All Progressives Congress-led administration, considerable efforts have been made since the party came to power to prioritise the health of the people.

“Osun State boasts 57 secondary and 876 primary healthcare facilities, out of which 323 are focal facilities that will implement the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). This translates to one functional primary healthcare per ward.”

The governor praised the immediate past administration of Rauf Aregbesola for spending N1.8 billion on renovation, rehabilitation and upgrading of nine hospitals.

He added: “As part of efforts to expand healthcare delivery, our administration also instituted the Osun Health Insurance Scheme, while government makes healthcare affordable to its citizens under the scheme. It also pays premium for the vulnerable.”

The ceremony at Ejigbo was witnessed by the traditional ruler of the town, Oba Omowonuola Oyeyode Oyesosin; the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole; House of Assembly Speaker Najeem Salam and Head of Service (HoS) Olowogboyega Oyebade.

Others are: the State APC Chairman Prince Gboyega Famodun; the Supervisor for Finance, Mr Bola Oyebamiji; the Supervisor for Home Affairs, Dr. Obawale and the Supervisor for Works, Mr Remi Omowaiye, who hailed the governor for his commitment to the provision of infrastructure.

The monarch urged the government to site a School of Nursing on the premises of the hospital after its rehabilitation because it was the original plan when the town gave over 50 acres of land for the hospital project over 40 years ago.

Prof. Adewole acknowledged the commitment of the Oyetola administration to building on the achievements of his predecessors in all sectors to register the name of the state on the map of development across the world.