The Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti (FETHI), on Friday called on stakeholders to support its transformation, repositioning and development agenda for greatness.
Its Chief Medical Director, Prof. Adekunle Ajayi, made the call at the hospital’s maiden edition of the stakeholders’ forum in Ido-Ekiti.
Theme of the forum was: “Healthcare Financing in Nigeria: Harnessing Non-Governmental Contribution.”
Ajayi said the forum was organised to bring together progressive and positive minded people in Nigeria toward funding and implemention of healthcare activities.
“This forum presents progressive and positive minded people, voluntary public and private organisations that are devoted to the provision and financing of healthcare services.
“We are ready to partner with the public, non-profit, for profit private sectors, as well as the international and bilateral donors, foundations and voluntary organisations in providing effective healthcare services to our teeming patients,” he said.
Ajayi, describing the hospital as a pride to Ekiti people, said it requires financial supports to sustain good healthcare services at all levels of promotion and service delivery.
“The Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, a pride to the good people of Ekiti, has transformed in scope and nomenclature since its inception.
“With the collaboration of great minds, equipped with capacity to stir us in the right direction, we can put to greater works sustainable good healthcare service delivery,” he said.
Ajayi, however, acknowledged the Federal Government’s tremendous and huge financial impact in ensuring that the hospital was properly funded.
He thanked the Governing Board of the hospital, under the leadership of Alhaji Mohammed Sukababa, for its commitment to the development of the hospital.
Ajayi said that in spite of the Federal Government’s subvention, the hospital still requires some other facilities and intervention.
He listed some of the hospital’s needs to include: modern Geriatric Centre and upgrading of Renal and Cardiac Centre and construction of modern patients ward with 150 beds.
Others are a Conference Hall, capacity building training programme initiative for medical and para-medical staff and indigent patients fund initiative to care for the less privileged individuals in the state.
Earlier, Sukababa commended the chief medical director for restoring and maintaining peace within the hospital since he assumed duty in January 2018.
The governing board chairman said it was no longer news that Nigeria healthcare system was facing a tough time that requires collective efforts of the management and stakeholders to improve healthcare needs of the people.
The chairman assured the management of the board’s commitment to improve the development of the hospital for the benefit of the teeming patients and indigenes of Ekiti.
He, then appealed to the stakeholders to support the efforts of the Federal Government in providing effective healthcare in the hospital.
Also, Aare Afe Babalola, who spoke as chairman at the event, commended the management for the laudable initiative.
Babalola, represented by Prof. Abiodun Ojo, appealed to the stakeholders to make generous donations to the development of the hospital.
He promised to contribute his financial assistance to the hospital to enhance quality healthcare delivery.
The Guest Speaker, Dr Oyebanji Filani, the state Commissioner for Health and Human Services, urged stakeholders to support the good plans of the hospital management.
Filani, represented by Mr Akinjide Akinleye, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, advised the management to be open to notable partnership from both public and private organisations.
He said that this would improve the standard of healthcare delivery in the hospital.
The National Daily reports that some of the Ekiti traditional rulers, religious leaders, friends of the hospital attended the stakeholders forum and contributed financially to its development.
One of the traditional rulers, the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Alagbado, donated a cheque of N250,000 to the hospital, while the Arinjale of Ise-Ekiti, Oba Adetunji Ajayi, donated N250,000 and promised to make it a yearly donation.
Similarly, the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, Bishop Felix Ajakaiye and Chairman of Council of Elders in Ekiti, Prof. Joseph Oluwasanmi, assured management of the hospital of
financial support from the church and the council respectively.
Commenting, Mr Kolapo Olatunde, the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ekiti chapter, assured the hospital’s management of the union’s financial support.