Commissioning Of Rehabilitated Parts Of The University College Hospital, Ibadan By The OSSAP – SDGs

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SPEECH DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE FORMAL COMMISSIONING OF REHABILITATED PARTS OF THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL, IBADAN, OYO STATE ON THE 16^TH OF MAY, 2023.

PROTOCOLS

Today’s event marks another milestone in the annals of this historic institution, the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan.  Over 7 decades have shown that this University College Ibadan is special in every way because it has played a crucial role in the training of medical personnel and other healthcare professionals across the West African sub-region.

Over the years, UCH Ibadan has witnessed much growth in academic expansion and we were told currently accommodates about 65 Departments, among which is the Department of Nuclear Medicine in Nigeria, which was commissioned sometime in 2006.

I am also reliably informed that on average, UCH receives over 250,000 new patients in various outpatient clinics on an annual basis. This is a testament to the hospital’s reputation over the years.

UCH as we all know is primarily a tertiary institution, but has created a wonderful system where it engages in community-based outreach activities, offering primary and secondary healthcare across the State. This is also highly commendable, considering the gaps in our healthcare delivery system.

A recent report on Nigeria’s progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3, Good Health and Well-being for All, revealed that while there is a considerable effort by our national health systems to increase access to healthcare services, there are notable barriers militating against the effective delivery of those services, and these are mainly linked to the quality of care available, equipment and facilities and of course essential medicines.

For the population, the barriers against accessing healthcare are mainly economic, sometimes on account of referral and counter-referral systems, and the cultural beliefs and practices which influence healthcare-seeking behaviours.

Similarly, the Report noted that although government health expenditure doubled between 2010 and 2019, out-of-pocket expenditure is significantly high in Nigeria about 74.3 percent on average between 2010 and 2019 with wide variations existing across the 36 states so people are still spending money using their own money for purposes of healthcare. And this is so because of the very significant gaps between our health budgets and health expenditures that exists across the country.

It is very gladdening to see that the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) has now completed the comprehensive rehabilitation and furnishing of the University College Hospital, Ibadan as part of their commitment to the achievement of the SDGs in Nigeria.

Let me commend as all of us have done already, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Her Excellency, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire for this intervention and for her commitment to the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in Nigeria. And I want to say especially when you are a public servant who is serious about public service, it is always so heartwarming and so commendable and I want to say that I have known Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire for so long.

We were in the Lagos State Government from about 2003 to 2007 in the second term of the Lagos State Government. And from then till now, she has shown that consistency in delivering good quality service, honesty and with the greatest integrity.

I want us to just commend her because it is not often that we see public service rendered with all of the heart of the public servant and so well as she done.

This strategic intervention here will address some of the challenges faced by the University College Hospital in the delivery of healthcare and especially, the services that are rendered to the teeming numbers of Nigerians who want these services. The rehabilitated facilities and state-of-the-art medical equipment will guarantee effective service to poor and vulnerable Nigerians. It will equally reduce out-of-pocket expenditure at the point of service delivery.

Let me congratulate the management and staff of the University College Hospital, and indeed the government and the good people of the State for this development. But this official commissioning today comes with a responsibility for all of us to judiciously use and maintain these facilities for the benefit of all.

To complement this intervention, the office of the SSA to the President on Sustainable Development Goals has also constructed a 100-Bed Mother and Child Hospital at Ona-Ara, Ibadan, here in Ibadan.

I am aware that this facility is fully equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities as well. I look forward also to the sustainable use of these facilities in the years to come.

So, it is with great pride that I officially present and commission, (I am sure will be walking around in a few minutes) these facilities for the benefit of all Nigerians and indeed for the benefit of our region.

God bless you all.