By Modupe Gbadeyanka
As part of its corporate social responsibility, Heritage Bank Plc has partnered Oyo State government in transforming the healthcare sector through the N50 billion Healthcare Endowment Fund aimed at making healthcare delivery affordable and accessible to all.
MD/CEO of the bank, Mr Ifie Sekibo, at the flag-off of the endowment fund for restoration and transformation of government hospitals and health centres in Oyo State, said as part of support, Heritage Bank would adopt a health and maternity centre at the state teaching hospital, thereby expanding its capacity from 45 to 60 beds.
He also stated that apart from the existing structure that Heritage Bank would improve on, it would furnish the adopted hospital unit with necessary equipment required for efficient healthcare delivery to the people.
According to him, for every business relationship to be meaningful, it must be mutually beneficial to the parties involved; otherwise such partnerships would not last.
On this realization, Mr Sekibo said Heritage Bank would support the state in its bid to renovate the facilities available in all the health institutions in Oyo State.
He said, over the years, Oyo State has been one of the key customers of Heritage Bank; hence the need for the support for the state now that it wants to add value to all its health institutions.
“At Heritage Bank, we believe in this project and that is why we have come to associate with it even from inception. No doubt, the motive behind it is laudable and, on completion it would make resourceful to the health of the citizens as well as other residents of the Oyo State,” he said.
Earlier speaking at the occasion, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, who commended Heritage Bank for its continuous support, said proceeds from the Endowment Fund would be used to further boost the healthcare delivery in the state.
“Today marks a turning point in the history of healthcare delivery in Oyo State. Preservation of healthcare is a duty of everybody – the government and the governed.
“Our duty as a government is not only to preserve the healthcare infrastructure available but to also improve on and expand the existing facilities. Through doing this, the sector would be able to effectively meet the demand of the day,” Mr Ajimobi said.
The Governor mandated that the healthcare scheme be accessible to all, even as he noted that every residents, including parents of pupil in public schools, before their wards can be admitted and civil servants, must register with the sum of N650 being part of their contribution.
The Governor noted that to some people, the Pacesetter State may appear too ambitious with the Endowment Fund.
However, he explained that Oyo State is ambitious because it has what it takes a state to be the medical hub of the whole nation.
However, Governor Ajimobi stated that the state have evolved to a level that individuals and corporate entities will give back to the public sector part of what the public sector has given to us.
Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr Azeez Adeduntan, in his welcome address, stated that the fund would be used to renovate the 57 general hospitals and 622 health centres.
Apart from this, he noted that the fund would be used to buy drugs, employ more health workers and build more hospitals.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Aduragbemi Omiyale