Date Published: 08/23/09

Ekiti Govt. to upgrade health facilities with N1.7 billion

Ekiti State government is to spend over N1.7 billion on the upgrading of facilities in 180 primary health institutions spread across the 16 local government areas of the state, the State Governor, Engr.  Segun Oni has said.

According to a statement issued by a media aide to the governor, Mr. Lere Olayinka, the governor, who made this known while playing host to the State leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Ado Ekiti said the move was aimed at reducing infant and maternal mortality in the State to the barest minimum.

He disclosed that plans were also in top gear to engage three veteran doctors in each of the 16 local government areas of the State as consultants that would attend to out-patients and emergency cases in primary health care facilities in the rural areas.

Governor Oni further disclosed that contracts had been awarded for the construction and equipping of a state-of-the-art-theatre and intensive care unit at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Ado Ekiti at a cost of N130 million.

He also noted that his administration intended to carry out a total reform of the State health sector, through a sub-sectoral approach under which problems of inadequate equipment and personnel in key departments and units in health institutions are solved one at a time.

The governor said facilities at the State Specialist Hospital, Ijero Ekiti had been upgraded, while the General Hospitals at Ijesa-Isu, Efon-Alaaye and Ifaki had been reconstructed and provided with necessary infrastructure.

While disclosing that a bill to establish the Ekiti State Primary Health Care Agency had been forwarded to the State House of Assembly for passage, Governor Oni added that a well grounded professional in the medical field would be appointed as permanent secretary of the agency.

Earlier, the State chairman of the NMA, Dr Pious Ade-Ojo commended the Oni administration for the establishment of the UTH and the College of Medicine, Ado-Ekiti which he described as the most significant health initiative that the state has witnessed since its creation.

He said the Teaching Hospital has attracted specialists in various fields of medicine and  surgery  as well as supporting paramedical personnel  because  the salaries  of staff in the hospital competes  favourably with  those of other teaching hospitals in Nigeria.

The NMA boss also lauded the Oni-Administration for procuring two new ambulances for the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ido Ekiti and the Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti as well as for the procurement of modern X-Ray machine and chemical automated machine for the Teaching Hospital. 

Ade-Ojo, who pledged the readiness of the association to partner the State Government in achieving high level of professionalism in the State’s Heath Sector urged the Oni-Administration to increase the health sector’s budgetary allocation the national benchmark of 15 percent.