Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State announced on Tuesday that his administration is set to begin the disbursement of grants and facilities to 236 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) throughout the state.
The governor disclosed this while addressing the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) during their 44th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference held in the state.
This initiative, according to the governor, aims to ensure that all primary health centers across Ogun State meet the World Health Organization’s standards for healthcare delivery.
“We have grants and facilities from multilateral organizations that we are going to begin to expend very soon, which will allow us to have a minimum of 236 primary health care centers built in line with the requirements of the World Health Organization,” Abiodun stated.
The governor further emphasized his administration’s commitment to upgrading not just primary health care centers but also secondary and tertiary healthcare institutions in Ogun.
He explained that his government is investing significantly in the training of doctors and overall human capital development.
Governor Abiodun also highlighted the successful renovation of about 100 PHCs, which have been fitted with solar energy systems, digital communication infrastructure, and electronic record-keeping systems.
In a move to improve working conditions for medical professionals, the governor revealed that his administration has consistently paid hazard allowances to doctors and recently approved the payment of Clinical Duty and accoutrements allowances.
Encouraging collaboration within the health sector, Governor Abiodun urged the NARD members to continue to convene meetings that would promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise.
He stressed that the government is open to supporting any resolutions aimed at advancing healthcare delivery:
“I want to encourage you to continue to meet like this… share experiences, and come up with ways and means to improve health care delivery.”
The governor also shared that the state’s health insurance scheme has gained significant traction, with both the organized private sector and civil service actively participating.
In his response, the outgoing National President of NARD, Dr. Dele Abdulahi, expressed concerns about the migration of doctors, which he described as a major issue affecting the association.
He pointed out that inter-state migration, in particular, was becoming increasingly problematic. “One of the problems that are plaguing doctors in Nigeria… is the migration of doctors. But of peculiar importance is… inter-state migration,” Dr. Abdulahi said.
He commended Governor Abiodun for his contributions to the health sector and called on the state government to introduce initiatives such as car and housing loans to help curb the migration of doctors to other states.
