Ondo health sector repositioned for major investments, govt says
By Julius Alabi, Akure
The Acting Chairman of the Ondo State Hospital Management Board (HMB), Dr. O.N. Akeredolu, has listed a series of interventions by Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, saying the administration is steadily repositioning the state’s health sector through massive recruitment, infrastructure renewal, equipment acquisition and improved welfare for health workers.
Akeredolu, in a statement on the achievements of the Aiyedatiwa administration in the health sector, said more than 3,000 health workers had been employed to address manpower shortages and strengthen service delivery across healthcare facilities in the state.
He said the government was also undertaking the construction of 500-bed wards across hospitals in the state, alongside the renovation and upgrading of state specialist and general hospitals.
According to him, the administration has equally commenced efforts to equip the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Complex (UNIMEDTHC) with major diagnostic facilities, including a Computed Tomography (CT) scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and mammography machines.
The HMB chairman said contractors handling the supply of the equipment had been paid and that the facilities were awaiting installation, describing the intervention as the first of its kind in the history of Ondo State.
Akeredolu also listed the purchase of 12 modern ambulances and a brand-new Hilux vehicle for the Hospital Management Board among the administration’s interventions aimed at improving emergency response and healthcare logistics.
He added that more than 28 vehicles, including ambulances and Hilux vans belonging to the HMB, had been refurbished to improve mobility and support health service delivery across the state.
The acting chairman said the administration had renovated more than 100 Primary Healthcare Centres across Ondo State as part of efforts to expand access to quality healthcare, particularly at the grassroots.
He further disclosed that renovation works were ongoing in several state specialist hospitals and general hospitals, with the objective of improving the condition of health facilities and creating a more conducive environment for patients and health personnel.
Among the projects listed was the completion of the General Hospital at Agbakada, which, according to him, had been abandoned for about 16 years before the intervention of the present administration.
Akeredolu also said Governor Aiyedatiwa had approved the establishment of an Ondo State School of Nursing in Ilaje Local Government Area to expand opportunities for the training of nurses and strengthen the state’s health manpower development.
He said the administration had continued to provide free surgical services for indigent citizens through the Festival of Surgery initiative, giving vulnerable residents access to critical medical procedures.
The statement added that health insurance coverage had been extended to pensioners, personnel of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, and other categories of residents.
According to Akeredolu, the government has also embarked on the revitalisation of the Ondo State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency, providing two brand-new Hilux vehicles and several millions of naira as seed funds to strengthen its operations.
He said several lecture theatres were being constructed at the Ondo State School of Health Technology as part of efforts to improve facilities for the training of healthcare professionals.
On the welfare of health workers, Akeredolu said the administration approved Level 17 for pharmacists in the state public service, which he described as another first in the history of Ondo State.
He also credited the government with the implementation of the Federal Government-approved salary structures for health workers in the state, saying the move had helped to address long-standing welfare concerns.
The acting HMB chairman further said more than 800 casual workers under the board had been converted to permanent members of staff, describing the development as a major boost to job security and staff morale.
Akeredolu also highlighted the establishment of two oxygen plants at the State Specialist Hospitals in Akure and Okitipupa, saying the facilities had strengthened the state’s capacity to meet its oxygen needs.
He claimed that Ondo State had become one of the few states capable of producing oxygen for use in its hospitals without relying substantially on external vendors, adding that some Federal Government-owned hospitals in the state now obtain oxygen from state facilities.
The statement also listed the ongoing revitalisation of the Ondo State Emergency Medical Services Agency (ODEMSA) among the major interventions of the present administration.
Akeredolu said the various programmes and projects reflected Governor Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to rebuilding a sector which, according to him, had faced significant challenges before the present administration.
While acknowledging that more still needed to be done, he said the progress recorded so far deserved recognition and support from residents of the state.
He said: “It is not yet Eldorado. We still have a lot to do for our people, but we should also appreciate Mr Governor, who inherited what could be termed a dead health sector and has made these interventions.”
Akeredolu commended the governor for what he described as his sustained investment in healthcare infrastructure, personnel welfare, medical equipment and emergency services.
He added: “We appreciate you, sir, Your Excellency, H.E. Lucky Aiyedatiwa. Ondo State is indeed lucky.”
The HMB chairman expressed optimism that the ongoing projects and reforms, when completed, would further strengthen the capacity of the state’s healthcare system and improve access to quality medical services for residents.
