The Oyo State Government has began the development of the 2024 Annual Operational Plan to guide the operations of the state’s Ministry of Health.
The document to be developed at the end of a five-day stakeholder’s engagement, holding in Oyo Town, is in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry Of Health, Dr Olusoji Adeyanju, speaking shortly after declaring the event open, said the essence of the stakeholders’ meeting is to review the activities done last year by the ministry, to identify what is to be done, who is going to do it, how it will be implemented, and the people to do it step by step, with a view to making necessary improvement.
Qualitative healthcare
He stated that the initiative, which began three years ago would enable the government to strengthen healthcare facilities for residents to further access qualitative healthcare, reiterating the commitment of the government to reducing infant mortality and maternal mortality rates.
Adeyanju, while assuring residents of quality healthcare services with prompt interventions by health personnel at various facilities, noted that the present administration was working round the clock towards ensuring healthcare delivery is at the optimal level.
He said: “The truth is that in the past three years, since His Excellency came on board, we have been making this Annual Operational Plan on a yearly basis to review what we have done, and we thank His Excellency for this.
“If the primary Healthcare center is strengthened, people will not be transferred to maybe, secondary or tertiary health centers, this is what the government is doing to ensure people have access to healthcare services very close to their environment,” the Permanent Secretary submitted.
An Health Specialist from UNICEF, Dr Olufemi Adeyemi, emphasised the need to avail children equal opportunity to assess qualitative healthcare at necessary stages, admonishing stakeholders in the health sector to ensure the well-being of children and mothers, and protect their rights in terms of provision of healthcare.
Adeyemi stated: “Every child has access to vaccination, it is free. Children are to get it at the appropriate time because a child should not die of malaria and some diseases, it is unacceptable.”
The Director, Planning Research and Statistics, Ministry of Health, Dr Abass Gbolahan, said the move by the ministry was to have a robust and comprehensive plan that would be in line with the vision of the government for the health sector.
He explained that the ministry had been able to improve on its surveillance activities during the year under review, noting that many health facilities were upgraded by the government and became more functional.
Gbolahan called on residents of the state to distance themselves from self-medication, but access government health facilities for them to know their health status.
Lateefah Ibrahim
