*holds parley with health workers
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Teslim Folarin on Tuesday, said that his mission for the health sector of the state is to improve quality of life by making healthcare delivery available, accessible and affordable.
Speaking at a parley with health workers in the state, the APC governorship candidate declared that as at present, Oyo State’s health sector, ” is in shambles and deserve urgent attention.”
Senator Folarin pointed out the present sorry state of the state’s health sector is more pronounced in terms of infrastructure, equipment and intolerable working conditions of health workers as well as in the areas of ” under-staffing in our hospitals, expensive treatment and unavailability of basic drugs”.
According to him, ” the situation is all the more tragic in rural areas”, hence, the urgent need to comprehensively upgrade all the state-owned hospitals and also provide new standard ones to serve the lacking communities.
” I am not here to reel out the inefficiency of the incumbent government in Oyo State to your hearings but this platform provides me an opportunity to constructively access the health sector of our State. Frankly speaking, Oyo State’s health sector is in shambles in terms of infrastructure, equipment and intolerable working conditions of health workers”, he said.
Senator Folarin added, ” Our mission for the health sector of Oyo State is to improve quality of life by making healthcare delivery available, accessible and affordable. Permit me to quickly highlight some of my health reform programmes:”
” It is worth noting the University College Hospital is the biggest public-sector hospital in Oyo State, which is visited by thousands of common people on a daily basis for receiving emergency care and getting routine treatments and tests done. But the institution is overstretched. Hence, the need to comprehensively upgrade all the state-owned hospitals and also provide new standard ones to serve the lacking communities.
” A recent study shows that Oyo State is currently ranked 12th out of 36 States in terms of healthcare provision and last in Southwest Zone” and that before Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration was inaugurated, Oyo state was 8th on the log”.
Senator Folarin maintained , ” To me and to the good people of Oyo state, this is a reversal of fortune. However, I must commend all our health workers for risking your lives to save lives. Having realised that only a handful of citizens can afford treatment in private hospitals, our administration shall reform the health sector of Oyo State”.
” Having realised that only a handful of citizens can afford treatment in private hospitals, our administration shall reform the health sector of Oyo State. Our government shall not only upgrade the public health infrastructure in the state but also make required provisions to save lives and treat people. The onus lies on the government to take care of its citizens by all means necessary and our administration will not pay lips service to the health sector.
Speaking further, he hinted that APC government in Oyo state shall not only upgrade the public health infrastructure in the state but also make required provisions to save lives and treat people, saying, ” the onus lies on the government to take care of its citizens by all means necessary and our administration will not pay lips service to the health sector.
” As a lawmaker representing Oyo Central senatorial district, I have made significant interventions in the health sector of Oyo State by facilitating four (4) standard healthcare facilities vis-a-vis Primary Healthcare Centre, Pade in Akinyele LGA; Primary Healthcare Centre, Olode in Oluyole LGA; Araromi Market in Oyo East LGA and the latest one, which is due for commissioning is 100-bed Mother-Child Specialist Hospital Abode in Ona-Ara LGA.
Senator Folarin however highlighted some of his health reform programmes as
* Revitalization of services and renovation of Rjng Road State Hospital Ibadan
*Expansion of the state Ambulance services
* Establishment of Cardiovascular Centre at Rjng Road State Hospital, State Hospitals Oyo and Ogbomoso
*Quality improvement Health care service delivery – Public Private Partnership for some hospitals clinical , non clinical and diagnostic services and
*Sustaining and revitalizing the Primary Health Care Board
He listed others as *Expansion of the Semi autonomous status for some hospitals
* Establishment of a Drug Distribution Centre
*Upgrading and Renovation of state and General Hospitals and Health Institutions
*Completion and Provision of the medical equipment for the sustainance of accreditation of LAUTHEC teaching hospital, College of Nursing and College of Health Technology
* Provision and sustenance of the Health Insurance for the citizens of the State
* Sustainance of the regulation of private health care facilities to ensure compliance to minimum standard of health care practices
* Sustaining collaboration with Donors and partners in terms man power development , counterpart contribution, equipment and renovation and
*Introduction of Electronic Medical Record to some Health activities, eg health care Service delivery, registration of Private hospital
The APC governorship candidate stressed, ” furthermore, our administration shall implement WHO Charter on Health Worker Safety.
To connect the dots between policies on patient safety and health worker safety.
To develop and implement national programmes for the occupational health and safety of health workers.
To protect health workers from violence in the workplace.
To improve the mental health and psychological well-being of health workers; and to protect health workers from physical and biological hazards.
“No country, hospital or clinic can keep its patients safe unless it keeps its health workers safe. Now more than ever, we have a duty to give health workers the safe working conditions, the training, the pay and the respect they deserve.
Together, we shall move Oyo State forward for growth and development!” He declared.
