ONI REITERATES COMMITMENT TO QUALITATIVE HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM

Ekiti State Governor, Engr. Segun Oni has restated the determination
of his administration to develop the Health Care Delivery System in
the state into a national bench mark.

The governor noted that even though the recent Health Development
Index released by the Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health
Organisation indicates that the state has one of the lowest rates of
communicable disease as well as the least infant and maternal
mortality in the country, there was need to take further steps to
improve health care delivery in the State.

According to a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the
governor, Mr. Wale Ojo Lanre, Governor Oni made this while speaking
after being conferred with the Friend of the Association Award by
the state Chapter of he Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in
Ado-Ekiti.

Governor Oni, who attributed the successes recorded in the health
sector to the dedicated service of members of the NMA and other
health workers stressed that as leaders of the team in the health
sector , Medical Doctors owe it a duty to ensure that facilities and
the environment in hospitals were properly maintained at all times.

“We have never had it so good in the health sector. The latest Health
Development Index released by the Federal Ministry of Health and the
World Health Organisation indicates that our state has one of the
highest vaccination rates against polio and other childhood killer
diseases in the country.

“We also have the lowest reported cases of malaria, leprosy and
tuberculosis in Nigeria. These are very good indices but I believe we
can still do better,” he said.

While stressing that the State Government was committed to developing
the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Ado Ekiti into a centre of
excellence and the state into the number one destination point for
health tourism in the country , Governor Oni disclosed that plans were
in top gear to start the development of the permanent site of the
teaching hospital in nearest future.

He however noted that construction work had commenced on the new
Ado-Ekiti General Hospital, along Palmgrove area of the state capital
in order to reduce the present pressure being faced by the UTH as a
result of the absence of a general hospital in the State capital.

The governor, who assured that some new facilities and infrastructure
that were presently lacking would be put in place at UTH temporary
site before construction of the permanent site commences, called for
greater collaboration between medical practitioners in the state

Earlier, the newly elected Chairman of the NMA in the state, Dr.
Kolawole Ogundipe, stated that the association decided to present
Governor Oni with the Friend of the Association Award because of his
numerous contributions to he association and for to the positive
transformation the health sector in the state had witnessed under his
administration