Oni to commission five health projects

The five major projects included a world class Ophthalmology Centre, ultra-modern theatre at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Ado Ekiti, Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, Ambulance Service System and the Personalised Primary Health Service. Governor Oni said the Eye Centre was expected to cater for eye patients from the entire West African sub-region, adding […]

The five major projects included a world class Ophthalmology Centre, ultra-modern theatre at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Ado Ekiti, Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, Ambulance Service System and the Personalised Primary Health Service.

Governor Oni said the Eye Centre was expected to cater for eye patients from the entire West African sub-region, adding that cataract patients would be attended to, using the latest medical techniques and they would be discharged within 24 hours.

The governor, who noted that facility utilisation at the State owned health institutions was low prior to his assumption of office due to lack of confidence in the health care system, disclosed that utilisation of facilities at the hospitals had risen from 17 percent in June 2007 to 54 percent in June 2008.

He also said that immunisation rate rose from 55 percent in June 2007 to 71 percent in 2008, adding that the state had surpassed the 80 percent national target.

“The Eye Centre, which would be the first of its kind in the entire Africa, would attract eye patients from all parts of Africa to Ekiti State. It will be capable of restoring the sight of partially and some totally blind patients through the use of latest technology.

Similar ones set up by the Cuban government in Venezuela and China had recorded huge success and had gone a long way to prove the prowess of the Caribbean nation in the treatment of eye defects and other eye related illnesses.”He explained.

While expressing confidence in the state government’s ability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets next year, Governor Oni disclosed that four donor agencies, including the Yakubu Gowon Foundation recently donated one million Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets worth N1 billion to the State.

He said the nets would be distributed to every household in the state soon.