We Will Make Ogun Health Tourist Destination of Choice – Commissioner

ABEOKUTA: Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker has promised that the present administration is determined to make the health sector attractive to both residents and non-residents in a way that will provide solutions to health issues and attract investors to the sector.

Dr. Coker made this known while fielding questions from newsmen in her office at Oke Mosan in Abeokuta.

Dr Coker said that innovations would be brought to the fore, which would create economic empowerment and job opportunities.

She added that the Ogun State government would not take training and continuous professional development of its healthcare workers for granted, noting that delivery of quality services across the primary, secondary and tertiary tiers of the health sector remains a priority.

“The Governor Dapo Abiodun- led government will not take the provision of qualitative health service for granted. Our vision is to make Ogun the Health Tourist destination of choice, that will attract all and sundry; including investors. This will provide economic empowerment and job opportunities for residents,” Coker noted.

The Commissioner revealed that the renovation and equipping of Primary Health Centres across the 236 wards in the state is ongoing, adding that every resident of the Gateway State must have access to quality healthcare irrespective of location.

“The renovation and refurbishing of our health facilities will not leave out any tier. It will be across the board. We will also equip and staff these facilities adequately to ensure that the public are given the best service,”she said.

Dr. Coker added that the Ogun State Health Insurance Scheme which comprises of two phases and is set to be launched soon thus enabling both the formal and informal sectors to have collective contributions and make healthcare services available to all, pointing out that the scheme will cover pregnant women and children up till age 5, including screening of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

According to her, the state will also key into the Revolving Drug Fund which was established in 2019 to promote the bulk purchase of drugs from manufacturers through the Hospitals Management Board to enable the end users buy drugs at competitive prices.

The Central Medicine Store will ensure the quality of the supplies to help avoid using fake drugs.

The Health Commissioner pointed out that since Ogun State has the best life expectancy in Nigeria, the government will not relent in maintaining this status, emphasising that necessary measures would be taken to put the state amongst the best ranked in morbidity and mortality rates in the country.