Adekunbi Ero
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, on Wednesday underscored the significance of accessible and effective healthcare delivery service to the development of any society, saying that a healthy population was better positioned to contribute to economic growth.
Prof. Pate, who was joined by Governor Monday Okpebholo to commission a 62-bed ultramodern hospital donated by a billionaire businessman and philanthropist, Dr. Leemon Ikpea, to his Idumu-Iyase, Ewatto community of Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo State, noted that farmers, teachers, children and other members of society would benefit from the availability of such healthcare infrastructure.
The hospital will not only serve the immediate community and environs, but it will also serve as an annex to the Federal Government-owned health institution, the Irrua Specialist and Teaching Hospital, according to the donor.
The health minister, who cut the tape to declare the facility open, commended Ikpea, the Agbonjagwe Leemon Ikpea Foundation and his family, for investing in healthcare infrastructure to serve the people of Ewatto and surrounding communities, describing the facility as a source of pride for the community and Edo State as a whole.
While therefore calling on wealthy Nigerians and the private sector organisations to partner with the federal and state governments to expand healthcare infrastructure and improve service delivery across the country, Prof. Pate emphasised that such partnerships would complement public sector investments and support efforts to transform Nigeria’s healthcare system.
In his remarks, Governor Okpebholo commended Dr. Leemon Ikpea for establishing the 62-bed state-of-the-art medical centre, saying that the investment demonstrated the importance of private sector participation in strengthening healthcare delivery.
The governor also reiterated that government alone could not meet the healthcare needs of the population and urged other well-meaning individuals and organisations to emulate the donor’s example by investing in projects that would improve the welfare of residents.
Governor Okpebholo also charged the management of the medical centre and its healthcare professionals to maintain high standards of patient care.
He urged the people of Ewatto to protect the facility and make proper use of it, describing it as an asset that should be preserved for the benefit of present and future generations.
Chronicling actions taken by his administration to improve the healthcare delivery system in the state, Okpebholo said the government had recruited over 2,000 healthcare workers “to boost our workforce and upgraded over 65 primary healthcare centres across the three senatorial districts of the state.”
Appealing for more private sector participation, Okpebholo said, “Government alone cannot do it. We need private-sector partners and other individuals to complement public sector investments. Ikpea has set a good record, and I encourage other well-meaning individuals and organisations to emulate him.”
The governor also charged “the management of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital and the medical professionals who will serve here to uphold the highest standards of patient care.”
And to the people of Ewatto, he charged them “to protect this facility and make good use of it. Let it become a place of hope and healing.”
The governor, however, assured the people that his administration would mobilise contractors back to site to complete the ongoing construction of the Ewatto-Udo Road “now that the dry season is fast approaching.”
Speaking at the ceremony, the philanthropist, who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Agbonjagwe Leemon Ikpea Foundation (ALI), said the 62-bed medical centre was equipped with modern facilities to provide healthcare services to the people, as well as serve as an annex to the Irrua Specialist Hospital.
Noting that the facility belonged to the community and should be treated as a collective asset, Ikpea stressed that its protection would ensure its continued availability for healthcare delivery.
He therefore appealed to the community leaders, residents and security agencies to take collective responsibility for protecting the hospital, its equipment and buildings against damage and vandalism.
Ikpea also called on residents to support the Edo State Government’s efforts to improve healthcare services across the state, expressing the hope that the medical centre would make a meaningful contribution to the wellbeing of the people.
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