Speaker makes case for more general hospitals in Oyo

Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin,

The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin has advocated the establishment of more General Hospitals in underserved Local Government Areas in the State.

The call was contained in a motion on Tuesday, sponsored by the Speaker, Ogundoyin, and co-sponsored by Peter Ojedokun of Ibarapa North/Central.

The motion was tagged “Need for the Executive arm of Government to establish General Hospitals in underserved LGAS, increased Healthcare personnel and expanded training opportunities for intern students across the State.”

According to the motion, six LGs – Atiba, Ibadan South East, Ido, Ogo Oluwa, Ona Ara, and Oyo West – currently lack General hospitals, leaving residents without access to essential healthcare services.

The motion noted that the absence of infrastructure has resulted in residents often having to travel long distances to access emergency, diagnostic, and other crucial healthcare services.

The motion also highlighted the challenges posed by inadequate healthcare personnel in existing facilities.

“Despite the recent recruitment drive of the Oyo State Government, a significant gap remains in delivering efficient, timely, and comprehensive healthcare across the state. Expanding this staffing initiative would help alleviate the workload on current staff, reduce burnout, and ensure a higher standard of care for all residents.”

Furthermore, the motion emphasised the importance of intern students in the health sector, including nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists, and physiotherapists.

“The current provision for intern students is insufficient, with only 24 pharmacists, 20 nurses, 23 laboratory scientists, and 25 physiotherapists accommodated annually.”

The motion urged the Executive Arm of Government to expand these internship provisions to support the immediate workforce needs and ensure a smooth transition into the professional workforce.

The motion applauded Governor Seyi Makinde for his efforts towards providing quality healthcare for the people.

It also called for sufficient funding and resources to train and develop intern students, ensuring they receive quality mentorship and hands-on training while equally recommending an integrated approach, combining the establishment of new General Hospitals with expanded healthcare personnel and increased intern opportunities.

The motion further instructed the Oyo State House of Assembly Committee on Health to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all the State Government healthcare facilities.

This assessment is aimed at identifying facilities requiring upgrades as well as determining their viability.