By Kennedy Peretei
It is a common saying that, “Health is Wealth”. The Ondo State health sector has completely collapsed under the watch of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who wants us to believe that, our people are lucky to have him as Governor at this time.
Nobody should misconstrue a man’s personal luck with that of an entire State that is gasping for breathe in every segment of governance. There is no doubt, mother luck smiled on the Governor to survive his impeachment saga, and dramatically catapulted him to the exalted office of Governor, after the demise of his boss, Rotimi Akeredolu. That Aiyedatiwa’s luck could not see him beyond assumption of office is clearly manifest in what has become of health facilities and personnel in the State.
While some persons go public with their sorry tales, others endure their pains, looking up to God for succour. One of such persons is Mr Olawale Akintan, who lost his one year and seven months old son (Dominion) at the General Hospital, Okitipupa because he could not get medical attention. ” I lost my only child and it was painful. I am not in good condition right now. My wife is depressed. I don’t know how my family will get out of this pain. I cannot explain why a State Hospital will not have medical personnel to attend to patients. The government needs to bring professionals to that hospital; they should hire trained doctors and pay them so they can be willing to work there” were the words of the bereaved father.
In February this year, the Nigerian Medical Association while serving Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa a seven-day notice before embarking on strike revealed the unpardonable state of affairs in the health sector.
There are only 22 resident doctors at the University of Medical Sciences University Teaching Hospital, Ondo as against 150 previously there. The facility does not have resident doctors under training in; Orthopedics, Burns and Plastic, Ear, Nose and Throat, Mental Health and Pediatric Surgery. The General Hospitals in Iwaro-Oka, Ipe, Irele and Idoani which had at least 5 doctors each, now have only one doctor per hospital, who will be on Call Duty per week and will still attend to the day to day running of the hospital. Is there any surprise then, why there are many avoidable deaths in these facilities?
The recently conducted recruitment exercise by the Ondo State Civil Service Commission was shunned by doctors because the entry level for doctors in the State is Grade level 12 step 3 as against Grade level 13 step 2 approved by the federal government, which is applied by other states. Doctors in the employment of the State migrate to neighbouring states of Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos and Kwara that have better conditions of service. Yet, Ondo State is richer than most of these states.
Ondo State used to be the medical tourism destination for a lot of people in the South West. Not any longer. The Comprehensive Health Centers and General Hospitals across the entire State have been abandoned in terms of medical equipment, drugs and supplies. Work conditions totally unbearable for those who are still holding forth. If the present trend continues, our State will have to depend on native doctors and herbalists, because the man who should rise to the occasion is neither concerned nor bothered.
If within ten months, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been unable to prove that he is capable of providing healthcare at any level, how does he want us to believe that our people are lucky under his leadership? Asking the people for another term in office is an assault on the sensibilities of Ondo State people who have endured his lackluster performance in the health sector. Ondo State does not deserve this kind of luck that has reduced our medical facilities to slaughter slabs.
This series continues shortly.
Peretei is a Chieftain of PDP and former Publicity Secretary of the party in Ondo State.
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