The Ogun State House of Assembly, through its Committee on Finance and Appropriation, has urged the State Ministry of Health and Hospital Management Board to prioritize the purchase of more hospital equipment for all health facilities in the state during the next fiscal year.
Eko Hot Blog reports that this call was made during a budget defence session held at the Ogun Assembly Complex in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, where the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, was in attendance.
The Assembly’s challenge is aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery to the people of Ogun State. The members of the House Committee stressed the importance of allocating funds for new hospital equipment to improve the quality of care provided by the state’s health facilities.
During a half-year budget performance appraisal for the Ministry of Health and other health sector agencies, the committee, led by its Chairman, Hon. Wahab Haruna, requested immediate procurement of the MRI machines.
The committee also expressed its readiness to support the health sector in delivering quality healthcare services to the people of Ogun State.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Coker, acknowledged that the purchase of an MRI machine for OOUTH is a priority for the government. She also disclosed that the Ministry has proposed a total expenditure of N15.591 billion for the next financial year, with a focus on improving the healthcare infrastructure and services in the state.
Giving a breakdown of the budget proposal, the Commissioner said that capital expenditure for next year would gulp N11.785bn, while personnel cost would take N2.094bn, just as N1.712bn was earmarked for overhead. She also defended the budget estimates for the State Primary Health Development Board.
Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital
Taking turn to defend the budget estimates for the State Hospital Management Board, the Permanent Secretary in charge of the Board, Dr. (Mrs.) Olayinka Elemide stated that the next fiscal year would see to the rehabiltation of existing hospitals across the senatorial districts, including the procurement of modern equipment, hence, the sum of N24.182bn was being proposed as total expenditure for next year.
Giving the breakdown of the budget proposal, Dr. Elemide said N17.231bn would go for capital expenditure, while N4.743bn would be expended on personnel, with N2.208bn being proposed for overhead.
On the part of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, the Chief Medical Director, Dr. ( Mrs.) Oluwabunmi Fatungase said the focus of the budget for the next fiscal year was to amongst others construct, equip, maintain and operate various clinics, outpatient departments, laboratories, research or experimental stations, so as to provide facilities for diagnostic, curative, preventive and rehabilitative services in medical treatment.
To the end, the CMD proposed a sum of N29.663bn as the total expenditure for the next fiscal year.
Giving the breakdown of the budget estimates, Dr. Fatungase said N22.668bn was set aside for capital expenditure, while N6.995bn would go for recurrent expenditure, comprising of N4.9bn for personnel and N2bn for overhead.
Other agencies that defended their 2025 budget proposals before the State lawmakers including the State hospitals Ijaiye Abeokuta, Ilaro, Ota, Ijebu-Ode Isara and Ifo, as well as the State Alternative Medicine Board and the State Health Insurance Board.
Others included State Commissioner for Forestry, Engr. Oludotun Taiwo, his Sports Development counterpart. Hon. Wasiu Isiaka, State Auditor General, Lateef Balogun and his Local Government counterpart.
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