The Oyo State Government has disclosed that measures have been put in place to launch a 50 billion Naira Health Endowment Fund to transform the healthcare sector in the state.
In the same vein, the state government said it has taken delivery of two million dollars worth of medical equipment which would be at the Cardiovascular Center of the State Hospital, Ade-Oyo, Ibadan.
The announcement was made by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan, at a media briefing after the state’s Executive Council meeting chaired by the governor, Abiola Ajimobi.
Also present were the Commissioner for Information Culture and Tourism, Toye Arulogun and Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, Yomi Layinka.
Adeduntan, however, noted that the government cannot fund the sector alone without support and assistance from the private sector, as well as corporate bodies.
He also stated that it is necessary to stem untimely deaths caused by inadequate medical facilities in the state hospitals as well as unavailability of some drugs.
“In order to have a wholesome transformation of the health sector in the state, the State Executive Council today approved the launch of 50 billion Health Endowment Fund. This is meant to overhaul the sector.
“We must do all within our capacity to provide the needed facilities to curb untimely deaths occasioned by unavailability of the needed drugs and hospital equipment. The fund will take care of these problems that are caused by poor funding due to lack of financial capacity by the government,” he stressed.
He also gave the assurance that the present administration is prepared, despite the negative economic realities, to always look for alternative means of catering for the well-being of the people of the state.
“This equipment arrived in Ibadan yesterday at the State Hospital, Ring-Road, where it will be available for the benefit of the people who visit the cardiovascular center. All these efforts are geared towards making affordable healthcare available to the people of Oyo State as enshrined in the campaign promises of Governor Ajimobi,” the commissioner noted.