The Oyo State Government is set to carry out comprehensive rehabilitation of Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road, Ibadan and other state-owned health facilities through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with foreign and local consultants.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi disclosed this in Ibadan while receiving a delegation of the Malaria Control Partners comprising the USAID Washington and President Malaria Initiative in his office.
Governor Ajimobi said that this was part of his administration’s efforts at revitalising the health sector and improving the health status of the people of the state.
He said that under the new arrangement, medical doctors and other health practitioners would take over the equipping and the running of the hospitals while the state government would subsidise the running cost in order to enhance easy accessibility for the citizenry.
“We have started to equip our hospitals. We are now going to introduce what we call Public Private Partnership in some of our health centres and hospitals.
“We will bring in doctors and practitioners who will equip and run the hospitals while the government will subsidise the cost. We are starting with Adeoyo Hospital in the next three months,” he said.
Governor Ajimobi said his administration had taken a lot of steps to improve healthcare delivery in the state citing the free health mission initiative through which over half a million people had been freely treated as one of the steps.
He commended the efforts of the Malaria Control Partners towards the eradication of malaria in Nigeria, while also pledging the support of his administration towards total eradication of the scourge in the state.
“We are committed to the eradication of malaria in Oyo State. Malaria is number one killer of our people, even more than AIDS. We will use everything we have to eradicate malaria. We have taken a lot of steps towards improving the health status of the people of the state,” the governor stated.
In his remarks George Greer, the presidential malaria advisor, lauded the efforts of the Ajimobi administration in malaria eradication, stressing that over N2billion had been invested in malaria control in the state.
“I want to express our appreciation to the Oyo State Government for its efforts in reducing the rate of malaria. The collaboration with your state has provided positive results and we will always give the state the necessary support in the eradication of malaria,” he said.
Florence Ajimobi, wife of the State Governor and the net state ambassador, said the mosquito treated nets had been widely accepted by the people of the State, adding that, by Year 2015, malaria would have been reduced to zero level.
REMI FEYISIPO, Ibadan
