Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has given the green light for the renovation and equipping of 11 additional general hospitals throughout the state, aiming to enhance healthcare services for residents, Ekiti News reports.
According to Dr. Oyebanji Filani, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, this new initiative will ensure that all 21 general hospitals in the state are upgraded and adequately equipped to meet the healthcare demands of the people of Ekiti.
The Commissioner said already 10 general hospitals had already been renovated by the previous administration of Dr Kayode Fayemi.
Dr. Filani spoke on Thursday in Omuo Ekiti while conducting an inspection tour of several general hospitals including Ijan, Ijesa Isu, Omuo, Ilupeju/Itapa, Ayede, and Ifaki to assess their condition, identify areas requiring improvement, and provide encouragement to staff members.
The Commissioner called on people in the State to go for routine medical checks and present themselves at the state healthcare facilities for treatment early.
He said, “We have 21 general hospitals. Two years ago during the time of Dr Kayode Fayemi, we renovated 10 of them. The beauty of continuity is to recognise that even though you have done some, you have to continue with the rest.
“Governor Oyebanji, having taken the mantle of leadership, has approved that the remaining facilities be renovated. General Hospital, Ijan Ekiti is one of those that will be renovated; we have already started there. The general hospitals at Ijesa Isu, Iye Ekiti, Ayede and a host of other of our facilities will be renovated and completed within the next four to six months.”
Dr. Filani said the Oyebanji administration had taken steps to holistically address the issue of staff mobility within the health sector in the state with pay parity and improvement cum payment of other necessary allowances.
The Commissioner said more doctors would soon be recruited, saying, “Only recently, we opened up space for doctors in the state. In the past, we only got two or three persons who applied for such, but in the last one, 19 doctors applied. So, it’s a sense that we are moving in the right direction.
“The way forward is to be able to address all these issues and our goal is to absorb all of them so that we can distribute them to as many of our facilities as possible,” Filani said.
The Commission, who hailed health workers in the state for commitment to duty, however, said maintenance of equipment was necessary, saying, “I will encourage all health workers across the entire state to ensure that all the infrastructure and equipment are properly maintained so that they can serve our people here in Ekiti”.