The governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, has said his administration would soon begin the disbursement of grants and facilities to the 236 primary health centres across the state.
Abiodun stated this on Tuesday when he received executive members of the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, who were in the state for their 44th annual general meeting and scientific conference.
Abiodun assured that this will help the primary health centres meet the requirements of the World Health Organization.
He noted that his administration has renovated about one hundred primary health care centers equipped with solar energy, digital communication equipment, and digital record-keeping systems for maintaining patient records.
Abiodun said: “We have grants and facilities from multilateral organisations that we are going to begin to expend very soon, which will allow us to have a minimum of 236 primary health care centers built in line with the requirements of the World Health Organization.”
He urged the association to continue to meet so they can share knowledge and experiences and come up with ways to improve the health sector.
“I want to encourage you to continue to meet like this and to discuss among each other so that you can share knowledge, share experiences, and come up with ways and means to improve health care delivery.
“And when you come up with these resolutions, those of us in government would like for you to forward them to us so we can give you the needed support,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the outgoing National President of NARD, Dr. Dele Abdullahi, noted that one of the problems plaguing the association is the migration of doctors outside the country in addition to inter-state migration.
Dr. Abdulahi, while thanking Governor Abiodun for his giant strides in the health sector, urged the governor to help the association curb inter-state migration with the introduction of car and housing loans.
“One of the problems that are plaguing doctors in Nigeria, which affects our association a lot, is the migration of doctors. But of peculiar importance is not just the migration outside of the country but inter-state migration. It is one of the major problems that we have been noting, whereby we have the influx to other states,” he said.