By Dipo Olowookere
Residents of Oyo State are presently happy as the state government commences another series of free medical services put in place by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
The programme, tagged Free Health Mission, is starting today, on Monday, May 15, 2017 at the Adeoyo Maternity Teaching hospital, Yemetu Ibadan as part of the events commemorating the sixth anniversary of the Governor’s administration in Oyo State.
According to the government, the Free Health Mission involves free surgical services, screening and treatment of high blood pressure, diabetics, malaria, family planning, HIV screening, immunization and vitamin A for children under one year and will hold across the six geo-political zones of the state.
Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun, explained that the exercise was borne out of the present administration’s concern for the well-being of the people of the state as well as to provide qualitative healthcare delivery, saying that the present administration has used its free medical services policy to treat up to one million patients in the past.
He further said while the programme will hold on Monday and Tuesday at Adeoyo Maternity Teaching Hospital, Yemetu Ibadan, it will take place in Ibarapa zone on Thursday and Friday, May 18 and 19 at General Hospital, Eruwa and the one for Saki zone will be at State Hospital Saki on May 22 and 23, 2017.
According to him, the train of the Free Health Mission will move to General Hospital, Iseyin for the people of Iseyin zone and environs, Oyo zone will hold on May 30 and 31 at State Hospital, Oyo while the one for Ogbomoso zone will be held at the State Hospital, Ogbomoso on June 1-2, 2017.
He assured that the state government will continue to pursue vigorously its resolve to take medical services to the nooks and crannies of the state so that citizens and residents of the state can have access to free medical treatment, stressing that the Mr Ajimobi administration is committed to improving the lives and health conditions of the people of Oyo State.
He noted that Governor Ajimobi will also unveil for use the recently donated $2m worth of medical equipment which arrived recently from the United States at the Cardiovascular Centre of the State Hospital, Adeoyo, Ibadan.