OPINION: Fayemi And Transformation Of Ekiti Health Sector

He could not believe his eyes. Initially, Ojo Adeniyi had contemplated taking the victim of an automobile accident along Ado –Iworoko Road to a private hospital but the proximity of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti to the accident scene and the urgency to save the life of the victim prompted a change of mind.
His perception about the hospital before this time had been a story of collapse of infrastructure, malfunctioning of equipment, and inefficiency of the staff; but all that changed when he got to the hospital.

The newly-acquired state-of-theart hospital beds with other modern equipment in the hospital theatre; laboratories, well-equipped wards, newly-purchased ambulance and engagement of more experienced specialists in various departments coupled with the positive work attitude of the medical staff and the clean, hygienic environment, gave him a strong conviction of a great transformation in the hospital.

Apart from these, there is ongoing construction of new structures at the hospital such as patients’ wards, patients and visitors’ pavilion, Mammogram Centre and Cancer Research Centre to be named after the late former Deputy Governor of the State, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka.

The modern furniture in the wards and offices, as well as the neatness of the toilets and bathrooms in the hospital wards and newly completed visitors room are enough to convince one, of the transformation going on at the health sector across the 16 local governments of the state

Already, the existing health centres across the state some of which look derelict are now being given facelift to make them compete with the modern-day health centres. That has been the lot of the health sector in the state since the advent of the present government of Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who at the inception of his administration outlined an eightpoint agenda of which Health Care Services dubbed as Agenda 5.

It was aimed at providing qualitative healthcare delivery system in the state with the provision of free health care for pregnant women, children of five years downwards and physically changed persons of 65years old and above.

However, the free health services are not applicable to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital alone but are also available at the local government health centres and General Hospitals across the state for the aforementioned segment of the population.

All these have become realities in the state even as the government had begun the implementation of programmes and policies that had reduced maternal and infant mortality to the barest minimum and Ekiti people, regardless of where they live, can now have access to quality health services.

The Acting Chief Medical Director of the EKSUTH, Dr Kolawole Ogundipe, who confirmed the development however noted that the transformation at the Hospital has been made possible as a result of Governor Fayemi`s priority attention to healthcare delivery in the state, adding that service delivery at EKSUTH particularly had improved tremendously

The EKSUTH boss disclosed further that the government had concluded arrangement to rebuild the School of Nursing and Midwifery Administrative Building which was gutted by fire last year.

A visitor and patients pavilion with 100-person capacity toilets and bathrooms for the convenience of the patients, among others, are ongoing projects at the Hospital. He added that the government has promised to purchase Toyota Coaster buses for the School of Nursing and Midwifery and that the facilities at the school are already being upgraded with modern equipment by the government, to ensure a learning environment that is condusive.

The CMD equally confirmed the existence of a new Accident and Emergency Unit and the renovation of the Male Surgical Ward at the EKSUTH as well as the construction of a new laboratory extension block equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities.

There is no doubt that the improved service delivery in the health sector of the state coupled with the newly introduced Ambulance and Emergency Services in the state alongside complementary purchase and donation of eight modern ambulances with Intensive Care accessories will desirably complement healthcare delivery across the state. It can be submitted therefore that Governor Fayemi has fulfilled his electioneering campaign promises in the health sector of the state.

•By  Gbenga Sodeinde, an Ado-Ekiti-based freelance and public analyst.

This article was first published in the Sunday Mirror.

Last modified: September 22, 2013