Ogun Receives Private Sector Support On Primary Healthcare

Furtherance of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative of the present administration to enhance efficient healthcare services at the grassroots, a Nigerian-based company, Apple and Pears Limited has renovated Orile-Imo Primary Health Center in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Commending the company’s strides at the commissioning of the center, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker said it was a global practice to get the support of private partners in the delivery of qualitative healthcare for all, noting that good health propels personal and economic development, as the project was important to employers of labour to further strengthen their relationship with the community.

She reiterated that the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration remained committed to making Primary Health Centres deliver Universal Health Coverage for residents through equipping of facilities, recruitment of professional workers and provision of health insurance scheme, emphasising that citizens should have access to health without being impoverished.

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“This occasion signifies what is at the heart of the Governor, which is the private-public partnership. That was one of the strategies of this administration. The other was to ensure every citizen has access to quality health which the government can’t do alone, so from the onset, we know we have to partner with corporations and this is a global practice”, she stated.

The Health Commissioner who also revealed that the government had also put in place Basic Health Care Provisions Fund to run the facilities, said health insurance had been provided for the vulnerable, who would be registered at the centre, advising residents to make use of the facility for proper care and management of their health.

Contributing, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olu. Ola. Aikulola, represented by the Director, Investment, Ms. Yemisi Folarin, noted that the commissioning of the facility was a step towards alleviating the challenges of infrastructural deficit and further ensuring the well-being of residents, enjoining the management of the company to continue to raise the bar in their Corporate Social Responsibility.

In his welcome address, the Managing Director, Apple and Pears Limited, Mr. Ali Hasbini, said the project was a symbol of their company’s commitment to the people and government, as the renovation was done to improve the well-being of members of their host community, stating that the project was executed to perfection, bearing in mind the standard and guidelines from the Ministry of health.

In his remark, the Chairman, Obafemi-Owode Local Government, Hon. Adesina Ogunsola, while lauding the State government for creating an enabling environment for PPP to provide quality health for the residents, appreciated the management of Apple and Pears Limited for the various developmental initiatives aimed at improving the lives of members of its host community, charging the people to patronise the facility for their health needs.

Also speaking, the representative of Orile Imo Traditional Council, Asiwaju Olakunle Olalekan, said the renovation of the facility was a worthy collaboration that had brought quality health care to the community, appreciating government and the company for prioritising the wellness of the residents.