Moronkola OLaoye
Oyo State Government has said that it will hold its N50bn endowment on
Thursday, August 3, 2017, assuring that the fund will be used for
infrastructural upgrade of 679 health facilities in the state
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan, who disclosed
this on Thursday during a Press Conference held at the Conference
Theatre of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Ibadan,
stated that the fund will be utilized for the establishment of a
cardiovascular center which will provide up-to-date routine and
emergency care in a bid to reduce sudden deaths arising majorly from
cardiovascular causes
Dr. Adeduntan, in company of his counterpart from Ministry of
Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun and the Consultant
on the N50bn Endowment Fund, Dr. Bola Olaosebikan noted that the fund
will also be used for the upgrade of existing secondary health
facilities in the 33 LGAs and the primary care facilities in the 351
wards of the State as well as engagement of qualified medical
personnel for the aforementioned health facilities
According to him, “the State has already commenced the construction of
five (5) secondary level facilities in five (5) LGAs previous without
such facilities. Presently, construction of these facilities is at
various levels, but the Fund will adequately allow for full
completion. Also, it will ensure that there is availability of
up-to-date equipment for use in these hospitals.”
The commissioner further explained that the endowment fund will be
used for infrastructural upgrade of 57 hospitals and 622 Primary
Health Care centres, assuring that the fund will be administered with
utmost transparency and accountability
Dr. Adeduntan expatiated that the fund will be managed in a public
purse separate from Government account by a Board of Trustees
comprising notable Nigerians led by renowned Professor of Medicine,
Chief Oladipo Akinkugbe, stressing that the first phase of the
endowment activities will span the next two (2) years with the
possibility of extension
Dr. Adeduntan explained “since all other vital sectors of the economy
in the State are also competing for attention at the same time with
the health sector, the government had no other alternative than to
call on individuals, corporate organizations and well-meaning
indigenes of the State to donate generously towards N50billion health
endowment fund. We need the support of well meaning Nigerians to take
our health sector to the next level.”
Speaking at the Press Conference, the State Commissioner for
Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun noted that the
Senator Abiola Ajimobi administration met health care services in a
bad state, saying however that the sector has been revamped and free
medical services provided to over one million citizens
He reiterated that the present administration has placed health care
delivery on the front burner, noting that there is a need for concerted
efforts to ensure the sector is not moribund and static
In his own address, the Consultant of the project, Dr. Bola
Olaosebikan, who noted that the Endowment fund is the first of its
kind in Nigeria commended the State Government for supporting the
lofty idea and assured that many organizations from within and in the
Diaspora are ready to contribute to the fund
He, therefore, called on well-meaning Nigerians to give Oyo State
government huge support by donating generously towards the N50billion
health endowment fund.