Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Thursday, restated the commitment of his administration to provide quality health care to the people of the state, saying it is prepared to take health care services to the next level.

He gave the commitment 

in his remark at the launching of the state N50b Healthcare Endowment Fund, which attracted donations and pledges from international organisations, private sectors, government functionaries, traditional rulers and eminent personalities, for the restoration and transformation of government hospitals and health centres in the state.

The event held at International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.

According to him, with the state presently having 57 General Hospitals and Government Clinics as well as 622 Primary Health Care Centres, the endowment fund, the first of its kind in the country, is meant for the restoration and transformation of the hospitals and health centres in the state.

He said his administration realized that it could not fund the health sector alone without the active support of, and assistance from the private sector and corporate bodies, adding that the government would do all within its capacity to provide the needed support to curb needless untimely deaths occasioned by non-availability of  drugs and equipment needed in the hospitals and other health facilities across the state.

He maintained that there are growing examples in Nigeria where private sector involvement in healthcare delivery is helping in no small measure to complement government’s efforts in the provision of efficient and sustainable healthcare services, noting that as individuals and corporate bodies, everyone should give back to the system part of what the system has given to them.

While stating that private sector involvement in healthcare dates back to 1883 when compulsory sickness insurance was introduced in Germany for some categories of workers, he pointed out that this marked the establishment of the first model of mandatory healthcare insurance in the Western world.

He said, “Our administration has also realised that we cannot fund the health sector alone without the active support of, and assistance from, the private sector and corporate bodies.  We must, therefore, do all within our capacity to promote and achieve healthy living in our state. 

“The endowment fund  will no doubt, take care of most of the issues which have arisen from the dearth of fund owing to the dwindling resources of Government. I therefore charge you all to join us in our avowed commitment to revolutionize the health sector for enhanced service delivery as our administration has identified and treated health as one of the cardinal sectors”.

Ajimobi, who charged everybody to take the issue of their health seriously with regular check-ups, stated that the government has constituted a Board of Trustees consisting of eminent personalities and people of high moral standing to manage the fund, saying “let me assure you all that the Fund we are endowing today will be judiciously utilized and well accounted for in line with our administration’s tradition of prudence, transparency and accountability. As such, you are all assured of prudent application of the fund.” 

Speaking on the recently introduced health insurance scheme in the state, he said it will be make compulsory for all residents of the state,

stating that the N650 month subscription fee for the scheme will be deducted from the salaries of workers in the state while workers of state’s contractors will also be mandated to subscribe to the scheme.

He said, “The recently introduced Health Care Insurance Scheme is a move in this direction.  Our target is the active participation of all and sundry in the development, management and funding of Health Care Services. While I heartily appreciate the high level of subscription already recorded, I wish to enjoin all those who are yet to register to go forth now to enjoin the benefits.”

Chief launcher at the endowment fund, Dr. Paul Abolo, said health should not be a humanitarian nor philanthropic issue, stating that it should be seen as the responsibilities of all to provide quality health care delivery.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan, promised that the fund realized from the endowment fund would be used to equip the state hospitals, assuring that the Primary Health Centres in the state will be upgraded to international standard in the next six months.

The Consultant on the endowment fund and Managing Director of HealthCare Communications, Dr. Bola Olaosebikan, noted that the concept of an endowment fund is international, stating that 30 or 40 per cent of investment in health comes from high networth individuals.