Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan
Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Mr Azeez Adeduntan, on Tuesday, said the state government is already finalizing a plan to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chinese government on improving the healthcare service delivery in the state.
Adeduntan during a ministerial press briefing held at Film Theatre of Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, said the agreement is to include provision of equipment, facilities and personnel to enhance and improve the efforts of the state government in transforming and repositioning the healthcare service delivery of the people of the state.
Present at the briefing are Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mrs Olayemisi Iyiola, Chairman, State Hospital Management Board, Mr Olubukola Adeyemo and Head, Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road, Ibadan, Mr Ayinde Akintunde, among others.
The Health Commissioner who did not disclose full details of the expecteded MoU with the Chinese government, however, added that the state government would from next month commence disbursement of monies redeemed from the health endowment fund towards the rehabilitation of hospitals across the state.
It would be recalled that the state government had in August 2017 launched a N50 billion Health Endowment Fund to generate fund for repositioning of hospitals across the state for quality healthcare delivery.
While noting that the rehabilitation exercise scheduled to commence at Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road, Ibadan was part of effort to upgrade the facility to world class standard, Adeduntan said although the state government received pledges close to a billion naira at the launching of the endowment fund, less than N100 million has been redeemed so far.
He added that no money had been spent so far from all the redeemed pledges and that the government is also considering the option of Public Private Partnership arrangement in the management of some of the state-owned hospital facilities for improved healthcare service delivery.
He further disclosed that the state would soon launch the Cardiovascular Centre at the Adeoyo State Hospital before the expiration of the Ajimobi led administration in the state.
According to Adeduntan, 40,000 residents are already covered in the State Health Insurance Scheme aimed at making health care services delivery available and affordable to them, adding that the state government would soon mandate the insurance scheme for all civil servants, contractors and anybody that would have any business interest with the state government.
He maintained that the premium still stands at N650 monthly and N8000 annually.
Adeduntan debunked allegations of negligence and ineptitude levelled against the staff of Adeoyo State Hospital in the death of an Ibadan-based radio broadcaster with a radio station in the city.
The commissioner said the deceased was attended to at the Adeoyo State Hospital and referred to the University College Hospital (UCH) before he finally passed on.
He said, "We have all the documents to prove this and we are ready to face any challenge on this. The state government would not trade words with Fresh FM on this issue. As a media organization that informs and educate the people, I think the organization should desist from misleading the public on sensitive issues like this."
He assured that the ongoing face-off between resident doctors of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho and the state government would soon be resolved.
“The problem with the teaching hospital is funding and that is not peculiar to the hospital alone. Persistent strike action, financial leakages and staff over-padding have only brought the teaching hospital backward.
“Government disengaged 256 staff, 55 resident doctors redeployed, 254 redeployed.
Those disengaged are people that government can outsource their duties among which are cleaners, gardeners, security guards and others. The resident doctors and state government met on Monday over the issue and we are optimistic about a positive and amicable resolution soon.
“The teaching hospital now receives N120 million as monthly subvention today instead of N200 million, that would ensure 100 percent payment of salaries with the restructuring exercise carried out on the hospital. Our effort is to reposition the teaching hospital to rival University College Hospital(UCH)", he said.