Oyo govt distributes N300m drugs to hospitals

Disclosing this to journalists in Ibadan, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Isaac Owolabi further stated that during the period under review, the government also purchased large consignments of various infusion fluids to the tune of N50million through Direct Purchase for use in existing hospitals all over the state. The commissioner, who was briefing journalists […]

Disclosing this to journalists in Ibadan, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Isaac Owolabi further stated that during the period under review, the government also purchased large consignments of various infusion fluids to the tune of N50million through Direct Purchase for use in existing hospitals all over the state.

The commissioner, who was briefing journalists on the activities of his ministry since the past one year, expressed delight that drugs were available at various hospitals across the state for free distribution to patients, explaining that this had greatly enhanced and improved healthcare delivery system in the state. Furthermore, the commissioner noted that the successful take off and implementation of the Public Private Partnership in the health sector in Oyo State had started yielding positive results.

According to him, the data returned from the 33 Local Government Areas of the state in the last six months had shown improvement from the abysmal 20 per cent to 90 per cent, while returns from private facilities were also picking up.

While maintaining that Oyo State was free of guinea worm epidemics, he revealed that there was a massive reduction in the cases of tuberculosis in the state, as government hospitals had essential drugs for the treatment.

Dr Owolabi told newsmen that the present administration in Oyo State under its Health System Development Projects spent a total of N180 million on the construction of Primary Health Centres at Awe, Iware, Tapa, Iberekodo together with General Hospitals at Ayete, Ago Amodu and Iganna, while the facilities are now ready for commissioning. Furthermore, renovation work had been completed on the General Hospital, Aremo in the state capital, he said.

Commenting on the joint ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital in Osogbo and Ogbomoso, the Commissioner remarked that “in a very short time from now, the implementation committee set up by both state governments would sit down and work out modalities of sharing assets and liabilities. None of the states will be short-changed at the end of the day.”