Osun upgrades nine state hospitals, spends N1.7bn on drugs

As part of its six integral action plan of restoring healthy living, Osun State government has purchased drugs and consumables worth N1.7 billion.

This is apart from the upgrading, rehabilitation and renovation of nine State Hospitals across the state at the cost of over N1bn.

The state hospitals are in Osogbo, Ikirun, Ikire Ilesa, Ila, Ede, Ile-Ife, Iwo and Ipetu Ijesha. Wale Bolorunduro, commissioner for finance in the State of Osun, who was the guest of the month of the Oyo State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) said the move by the state to renovate, rehabilitate and upgrade the hospitals is to ensure adequate healthcare delivery service in the state hospitals.

Answering questions after presenting a paper entitled “Improving Public Finance for Better Governance: The Example of the State of Osun,” noted that the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration is anchored on a six point integral action of banishing poverty, banishing hunger, banishing unemployment, promoting functional education, enhancing communal peace and progress as well as restoring healthy living.

He however pointed out that Aregbesola has fulfilled his promises in providing adequate healthcare service delivery to the people.

To minimise malaria, the Finance Commissioner told journalists that the “Ipinle Omoluabi” embarked on urban renewal and dredging of waterways coupled with good food served pupils in schools under the “O Meals” programme of the State government. Bolorunduro said the dredging of the waterways had helped to reduce the incident of communicable diseases.

The state, he also stressed, embarked on fumigation to further bring down malaria occurrence in the state. He stated that once the ecological and environment verification are completed, fumigation of the airspace will be done.

Temitope Ilori, commissioner for health in the state had urged the Osun people to be health conscious in this year but assured that the government would remain committed to adequate healthcare delivery.

The health commissioner who said the state government spent a lot on the renovation of the hospitals and purchase of ambulances added that healthcare is basically free.

“Things like consultation, opening card, admission are done freely and even 80 percent of the drugs are given out free to patients, drugs for common ailments like hypertension, diabetes, malaria and so on, are free, irrespective of age and sex,” she added.

She further revealed that Vitamin A, deworming tablets, and blood tonics are given to pregnant women in state hospitals.

By: Remi Feyisipo