…Tasks Gov. on Health Insurance for Populace
The Chief Medical Director (CMD), of the 400-bed Afe Babalola University Multi-System Hospital, (AMSH), Dr Kolawole Ogundipe has declared that the hospital is operating a kind of medical service that would put an end to medical tourism in Nigeria.
Ogundipe stated that people come en masse from outside the country to receive medical treatment in the hospital.
He however urged the government at all levels to prioritize health insurance for the people to provide affordable health care.
The CMD regretted the poor state of roads and the absence of a functional airport which he said is critical to the accessibility of the hospital.
Ogundipe, also a former Chief Medical Director of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, stated this on Wednesday while addressing newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, he added that the hospital and its other annexes handle variants of diseases and have successfully given free treatment to hundreds of people with diverse health issues on community services and accessibility to healthcare.
The CMD stressed that bad roads and the absence of an operational airport constituted a setback to people’s accessibility to health care services in line with the genuine interest, as well as the resolve of the founder of the University and Hospital, Aare Afe Babalola, (SAN), who has expressed readiness in putting an end to medical tourism in the country.
He regretted that Babalola had invested so much, in his desire to help the Federal Government in bringing quality healthcare, capable of putting a stop to medical tourism in the country.
” The kind of healthcare services you get here in AMSH is at par with what you will get overseas.
” The challenges we face here are numerous. However, we understand that there is nobody who embarks on a good project that will not face challenges.
” However, these are challenges that are not exclusive to us, they also affect you, journalists. On your way here, I know that you passed through bad roads to get here, because federal roads lead to this place.
” A number of persons who would have loved to be here, if there was a functional airport in Ekiti State can’t come, and that is quite unfortunate”, he said.
He said, ” When we have a functional airport, that can be taken care of, but as of today, we are still faced with a challenge that we don’t have a functional airport. Rather, people have to rely on the nearest airport, which is in Akure, and then face the security challenge that is on the road.
” There is none of us who want to go to Akure now that won’t first pray before we embark on the journey. These are the challenges that those who are also coming to patronize us are facing.
” If we can eliminate this, we will have resolved a bulk of our challenges. Above all, the earnings of many Nigerians now cannot even take them home, not to talk of taking them to the hospital, and taking them back”.
The CMD however stated that the stumbling factors have not debarred the hospital from providing active medical service as scores of patients come across the globe, especially UK and Canada.
” What has happened to Health Insurance, and has the government been able to provide health insurance for all the populace”
” We hope that we can also rise together and resolve these challenges.
“If you are living abroad and you are leaving there to come home for that purpose. Ekiti is landlocked, and all the federal roads, leading to the state are bad, and there is only one direct flight to Ekiti, which is Akure, you discover that the problems are enormous, but we are hoping that one day, it will be taken care of.
” The pregnant women and the children have been enjoying free health service for up to a year now, and it is not stopping.
” There is nobody who has come to the hospital without enjoying it. For the goitre, it is a programme that is just starting.
“One cheering news is that, just yesterday, we discharged another man that came to us from the UK, to access medical services.”, the CMD said.
