By; BAYO AKAMO,Ibadan
Oyo State State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan on Wednesday hinted that the state government is to launch a N50bn health endowment fund to transform its healthcare sector.
Dr Adeduntan who dropped this hint while briefing newsmen after the State’s Executive Council meeting chaired by the State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi also disclosed that the state government has taken delivery of a $2m (two million dollars) worth of medical equipment meant for the Cardiovascular Center of the State Hospital, Ade-Oyo, Ibadan.
The Commissioner said the endowment fund approach fashioned out to transform the health sector in the State was overwhelmingly approved by the State executive council and that the state government had realized that it could not fund the sector alone without the support and assistance from the private sector and corporate bodies.
“in order to have a wholesome transformation of the health sector in the State, the State executive council today approved the launch of N50billion health endowment fund. This is meant to overhaul the sector”he said.
Flanked by the State Commissioner for Information Culture and Tourism, Toye Arulogun and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy,Mr Yomi Layinka, Dr Adeduntan maintained that “it is necessary to stem untimely deaths caused by inadequate medical facilities in the state hospitals as well as unavailability of some drugs” and that the endowment fund would help to overhaul the health 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”.
Speaking further,the Commissioner pointed out that the equipment that just arrived the country from abroad “are to be used in combating illnesses that have resulted in many untimely deaths of common people who could not afford to travel abroad for medical attention.
Dr Adeduntan pointed out that the present administration in Oyo state “is prepared, despite the economic realities, to always look for alternative means of catering for the well-being of the people of the State”.
“These 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”.
