Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has reiterated the commitment of his administration to promote an all-inclusive healthcare system that will advance and contribute to the wellbeing of Ekiti people.
The Governor, stated this at the inauguration of some projects at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado Ekiti on Friday as part of activities marking the third year anniversary of his administration.
The Governor, who was represented by the First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, inaugurated the newly completed Ophthalmic ward that had been abandoned for more than four years and the newly rehabilitated dentistry department.
Dr Fayemi, also commissioned the newly constructed and rehabilitated road networks across the hospital to enhance access, navigation and mobility of patients from one unit or department to another.
He maintained that his administration as part of commitment to quality health delivery, in the last 36 months had invested immensely in terms of both human and infrastructure development in the institution.
He said; “Regardless of how much we have to do in respect of investing in the state by ensuring we have economic growth, ensuring that Ekiti State becomes a State to reckoned with in Nigeria; if our people are not healthy there will be nothing that we can do.
“It is only healthy people who can go to work, it is only healthy people who can go to farm and help us achieve our agricultural goals, it is only healthy teachers who can teach our children in the school, it is only healthy leaders who can lead the citizens and one thing of note is that my administration both in my first term and second term values and knows the worth of a healthy nation and as a result we have done a lot in the health sector.
“This is not how I met this teaching hospital when I returned to office in 2018, especially if you look at this quadrangle, we have the ophthalmology building here, we have the sexual and abuse referral centre, next to it is the dentistry building; that dentistry building was an eyesore last year, across it you have Funmi Olayinka diagnostic centre and next to it you have the diabetic center donated by Lion Club, and this is just a part of so many other things that are springing up in the hospital, like the oxygen plant, molecular lab, and so many other things”
He further encouraged the people of the state to take advantage of the facilities and human resources in the premises to boost their health status.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani said the projects were testimonies of Fayemi’s administration commitment to human capital development and recognition of the link between health, productivity and economic growth.
The Commissioner noted that EKSUTH has received significant investment running to billions of naira in the last three years in ensuring the actualization of an intensive care unit (ICU), Computed Tomography (CT) Scan, Public health laboratory, molecular laboratory, gas plant and host of other critical component to improve the quality of health delivery at the institution.
Also the Chief Medical Centre, Prof Kayode Olabanji commended Governor Fayemi for paying critical attention to the tertiary institution by ensuring that it functions at full capacity in providing medical care to the people of the State.
Prof Olabanji said the completion of the ophthalmic ward would contribute in no small measure to accreditation of some programmes at the department and gives room for admission of ophthalmic patients when the need arises.
The CMD added that the inauguration of the projects would not only curb medical tourism to other states but also boost the Internal Generating Revenue (IGR) of the institution and make the environment conducive for staff and patients.
