Makinde restates commitment to improved health sector,inaugurates medical equipments
By Adewale Owoade
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, says his administration remains committed to providing healthcare infrastructure and supporting initiatives and ideas for improved healthcare delivery in the state.
Makinde stated this when he inaugurated the solarised Medical Oxygen Pressure Swing Adsorption Plant, first of its kind in Nigeria, and the Level 2 Newborn Unit at the Jericho Specialist Hospital, Ibadan.
He also launched the Oyo State Strategy for the Scale-up of Medical Oxygen in Health Facilities (2024-2028).
According to him, the launch of the strategy for scaling up medical oxygen in health facilities across the state fits perfectly with the agenda of his administration.
He said his administration’s agenda was not only to build infrastructure but also to put in place institutions that will endure and help the state run smoothly in years to come.
The governor appreciated UNICEF, Federal Ministry of Health and IHS, among other agencies partnering with the state in the health sector.
He said he had given approval for the recruitment of more medical doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to address the personnel shortage in the system.
“Your partnership with Oyo State in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and NACA, IHS as well as others brought this project, which is being commissioned today.
“Any project that will improve the health care system in Oyo State is important to us, because it fits into our administration’s plan to move the people of Oyo State from poverty into prosperity.
“As you may have known, healthcare has remained one of the pillars of our administration in the Roadmap to Accelerated Development, 2019 to 2023, and now the Oyo State Roadmap for Sustainable Development, 2023 -2027.
“A lot of projects are ongoing in the primary healthcare sector and, so far, we have rehabilitated and upgraded not less than 210 PHCs across the state.
“To accomplish this, we had to increase the budgetary allocation to our health sector to the average of about eight per cent in the past five years.
In her goodwill message, the Country Representative, UNICEF Nigeria, Ms. Cristian Munduate, commended Governor Makinde’s efforts in the healthcare sector, charging other governors to emulate his approach in their different states.
“We gather here not only to mark the handover of the solarised medical oxygen plant and the Level 2 Newborn Unit at Jericho Specialist Hospital to the Oyo State Government, but also to launch the Oyo State Strategy for the Scale-Up of Medical Oxygen in Health Facilities.
“This triple milestone represents a remarkable step forward in our shared commitment to improving maternal and child health in Oyo State and across Nigeria.
“This is testament to what we can achieve when we work together towards a common goal – ensuring the health and well-being of every child and mother in this state.”
Also speaking, the Assistant Director, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Olanrewaju Sulaimon, noted that the commissioning of the plant represented a beacon of hope, “which signifies shared commitment to providing quality healthcare services for all regardless of location or socioeconomic status.”
Earlier in her welcome address, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, said the solarised Medical Oxygen Pressure Swing Adsorption Plant in Nigeria is the first of its kind in the South-West and even in the whole of Nigeria.
Dr Ajetunmobi noted that the laudable achievements stand as a testament to the power of collaboration, dedication, and the impact of collective efforts in addressing critical gaps in healthcare infrastructure.
The event was attended by top government functionaries including the Deputy Governor, Mr Bayo Lawal; the Secretary to Oyo State Government, Prof. Olanike Adeyemo; the Chief of Staff, Hon Segun Ogunwuyi; and the Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni.
