By David Adeoye
Ibadan, – The Oyo State Government says it has presented additional 120 units of electricity generators to some Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) as part of its efforts to upgrade all the 351 centres in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had on Nov. 8, presented 97 units of electricity generators to some of the PHCs during the first phase of the exercise.
The symbolic presentation ceremony done, in collaboration with Lanocks Construction Company, was held at the premises of the Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, the state Secretariat, Agodi in Ibadan.
At the presentation, Mr Ademola Aderinto, the Engineering Technical Lead of PHCs Renovation Committee, said that delivery of the generators to the State Primary Healthcare Centres was part of Gov. Seyi Makinde’s initiative to renovate/upgrade one Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) per ward.
According to Aderinto, the project, which began in 2021, has resulted in over 200 newly renovated PHCs, as well as many newly built PHCs.
“Today, 115 generators were delivered to the Primary Healthcare Board for the Primary Healthcare Centres in Oyo State by Lanocks Construction Company.
“This is the second batch of generators to be delivered; the first batch was delivered about a month ago bringing the total number of generators delivered to the PHCs, during this initiative, so far to 219,” he said.
Aderinto said the project was “initiated by the State Governor’s Office, in collaboration with the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board and the Oyo State Ministry of Health”.
He said that part of the project’s goal was to deliver generators for electricity supply to all the newly renovated centres and to sink boreholes to ensure a steady supply of water.
Aderinto lauded the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Funmi Salami, also the Project Lead and Chairperson of the Renovation Committee, whose contributions had led to huge success of the project.
In his remarks, Dr Muideen Olatunji, the Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, said that the aim was to make healthcare available to all residents in the state.
Olatunji said that healthcare was essential at the primary level to enable all citizens to have access to a healthcare centre within a mile of where they live.
He said that this would reduce the burden on secondary and tertiary hospitals, thereby improve the people’s healthcare.
NAN reports that the Chairmen of Olorunsogo and Egbeda Local Government areas, Mrs Julianah Akanni and Mr Sikiru Sanda, appreciated Makinde’s administration for prioritising the healthcare delivery sector.
Sanda, who is also the state Chairman of ALGON, admonished the healthcare workers in the beneficiary PHCs to make judicious use of the facilities. (NAN)
