- says Govt ready to make UCH Annex in Sepeteri functional
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said his administration is ready to
sustain the collaboration and cooperation between the State
and the University College Hospital, Ibadan.
The
Governor, who made the disclosure while hosting the Board of Management of UCH
during a courtesy visit to his office, said that the collaboration
would help raise the bar of health care delivery in Oyo State.
A
statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo
Adisa, quoted the Governor as saying that the Government of Oyo State
would make the UCH Annex, Sepeteri functional.
Governor
Makinde, while addressing the UCH team, led by the chairman of
the Board, Alhaji Ibrahim Bako Shettima, said his administration would
continue to leverage on institutions like the UCH to improve the
Secondary
Health Institutions in the State.
This
was just as the Governor promised that his Government would continue
to support the UCH in any way, stating that the State was quite
appreciative of what the institution had been doing and would love
to sustain the productive collaboration and partnership with the frontline
health institution.
Governor
Makinde said: “UCH has a history of collaboration and cooperation with the
people and Government of Oyo State. So, I want to thank
you for that and ask that this should be sustained.
“It
has been a history of firsts for us in Oyo State. The
Cocoa
House building was started around 1959 and commissioned in 1965 and
when we look at the area today, the skyline has not changed. So, we
ask ourselves how do we sustain the vision of the leaders that brought
such massive developments to this part of the world? Western Nigerian
Television (WNTV) also happened to be the first television station
on the continent. Even historically, I was told that the station
came into being before the Southern part of France even had the
opportunity to watch TV. Today, we watch DSTV and almost every home
cell in Nigeria is paying some money to South Africa who came behind
us.
“The
same thing is happening in the health sector. Historically, I also
read that UCH, in the evaluation that was done in the late 50s among
the Commonwealth countries, was rated far higher than the University
College in London itself. So, we have basically derailed from
the trajectory, which our founding fathers set for us as a country
but that is not the end of the story. The story is that we have
to hold ourselves responsible and accountable to change the narrative;
to put in our best such that two years from now, we should see
how we have leveraged on that to raise the bar.
“This
administration is resting on four major pillars; education, security,
health and expansion of our economy. So, health is a major pillar
and we will continue to look up to institutions like UCH to assist
us, support us, collaborate with us. I believe the management of
UCH will deploy its excess capacity to support our secondary health
institutions
in Oyo State. Whatever I can do to support the process, I am
available and we will do it together.”
Governor
Makinde called on the management of the UCH to avail the Government
of the state of things at the Hospital’s annex in Sepeteri, Saki
East Local Government, noting that his administration would ensure
that the facility is fully function.
He
said: “We want the UCH annex in Sepeteri, Saki East Local Lovernment
area to remain functional and if there are challenges we need
to be aware of as a government, we are ready and willing to ensure
that the objective in that place is realised.
“Personally,
I have visited UCH many times and when things were really tough
for me towards the election in 2015, I had to move into UCH because
of the security challenges. So, I will say, at that time, UCH basically
saved my life. I want to believe that the same level of
alertness
on security is being maintained.
“So,
if there is a need to support you in any way, let us know. We are going
to do that even without blinking an eye. It is good that we transited
at the same time in March. Now, we can both benchmark our progress
the same way. We don’t believe we know everything in this place.
If you see anything, which may not be even health-related, please,
let us know and we will be ready to engage.”
Earlier,
the chairman of the UCH Board of Management, Alhaji Shettima said
the purpose of the visit was to congratulate Governor Makinde on his
election and eventual victory after three rounds of legal hurdles and
also to cement the relationship between the UCH and the Oyo State Government.
He
appreciated the Oyo State Government for its support and collaboration
with the institution, which he said had a history of many
firsts like the State, calling on the Government to look in the Hospital’s
direction whenever it needs ideas to sustain its pacesetter status.
“The
management may have its own vision and mission but UCH is one of the
teaching hospitals in the country, which is owned by the Federal Government.
So, ordinarily, we are guided by policy of the Federal Government
on health care service delivery.
“For
now, the government is prioritising primary health care and that was
the point the Governor was making; the contribution UCH is making in
Sepeteri, Ibarapa and also a couple of other places in the State.”
