Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has officially inducted 3,933 newly-recruited primary healthcare workers across diverse cadres into the state workforce.
The governor said that the recruitment and induction of the healthcare workers would address the human resource gaps and improve health workers to population ratios, reduce workload burden and enhance service quality and patient satisfaction.
Governor Makinde, who performed the induction on Thursday, at the Orientation and Unveiling of the Operational Guidelines Programme held at the Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall, University College Hospital, Ibadan, promised to renovate and equip at least one standard secondary healthcare facility in each of the geo-political zones of the state.
He noted that the employment of the health workers aligned with his administration’s agenda to consolidate the healthcare system in the state by ensuring that essential health services reach the people at the grassroots.
He assured the newly-recruited officers that the government would continue to prioritise their welfare so that they would enjoy their duty posts.
He said: “We have focused on four major pillars — education, healthcare delivery, expansion of our economy, and security. But healthcare delivery is at the heart of our plan for the people of Oyo State, because if you take healthcare closer to the people at the grassroots level, 70 per cent of the problems in that sector would have been solved.
“And, who are the people that will ensure that our vision to look after the health of our people is delivered at the grassroots level? These are the people in front of us. It is not the buildings. Yeah, we have renovated Primary Health Centres; we’ve provided facilities in there, but without the human capital, we are wasting our time.”
While urging the new workers to give their best to the job, Governor Makinde assured them that the state government would not deny them anything they need to excellently discharge their duties.
The governor, who said the achievements recorded by the administration were a product of team efforts, added that his team has the capacity to continue with the current strides even after his exit from office.
He said, “What I say to people is, we came in under Omitutun 1.0. Then in 2023, you said we should continue to serve you, and so we had Omitutun 2.0. Now, Omituntun 3.0 is around the corner; it will ensure that your welfare is paramount and your salaries are paid as and when due.”
While congratulating the newly-inducted health workers, the governor stated that their employment was based strictly on merit, assuring that his administration would make their career rewarding.
In their separate goodwill messages, the Chairman, Ibadan North-East, Hon. Ibrahim Akintayo; representatives of the World Health Organization, Dr Ajayi Oladapo; and the Nigeria Medical Association, Dr Solomon Olaoye, expressed gratitude to the governor for the massive recruitment into the healthcare sector.
They charged the new health workers to work in accordance with the ethics of the profession and uphold the standard.
In his vote of thanks, the Chairman, Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, Hon. Dada Awoleye, commended the governor for the recruitment, which he described as an unprecedented achievement.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Muideen Olatunji, said the induction of the newly-recruited healthcare workers was meant to strengthen the human backbone of a re-imagined, revitalised and resilient primary healthcare architecture in the state.
He thanked the governor for the massive upgrade of the facilities, service expansion and quality improvement of the health sector.
He enjoined the inductees to see themselves as partners in the common mission of delivering quality, equitable and compassionate care to the people of Oyo State.
The event had in attendance former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Hamid Gbadamosi; Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin; Chairman, House Committee on Primary Healthcare, Hon Saminu Rilwan Gbadamosi; Chief Judge of Oyo State, Hon. Justice Iyabo Yerima; and Secretary to the State Government, Prof Musibau Babatunde.
Others were the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi; Chairman, Hospital Management Board, Dr Akin Fagbemi; Senior Executive Assistant to the Governor on General Duties, Chief Bayo Lawal; Chairman and Co-Chairman, Oyo State Elders’ Council, Dr Saka Balogun and Elder Wole Oyelese; Oyo State PDP Deputy Chairman, Alhaji Wasiu Adeleke; Local Government Chairmen; top government functionaries, Labour Union leaders and religious leaders, among others.
