The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State on Thursday mourned the death of a journalist, Olufemi Oluwajobi, a staff of the Fresh FM Ibadan mauled down by a hit and run vehicle in the early hours of New Year day.
Oluwajobi left the studio and was on his way to catch a vehicle when he was knocked down few metres away from the radio station in Challenge area of the city.
His colleagues and sympathisers rushed him to a nearby private hospital, where he was subsequently referred to the Oyo State Teaching Hospital at Adeoyo, Ring Road, Ibadan.
The PDP in a release titled “”Olufemi Oluwajobi and a death too many: The comatose of Oyo State Health Sector,” and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Akeem Olatunji, stated: “From information gathered, late Oluwajobi was referred to Adeoyo State Hospital Ring Road from a private clinic where he earlier got a first aid treatment owing to injuries sustained from the vehicular accident. It was alleged that on arrival at the state health facility, very disheartening to know that there was no electricity nor generating plants to lighten up the premises and to make the matter worse, the government so-called teaching hospital has no medical equipments to cater for emergency or accident victims.
“Late Oluwajobi was attended to by a resident Doctor but the hospital has no Intensive Care Unit (ICU) just like other Oyo State owned hospitals across the State. The victim was then referred to UCH but the ambulances owned by the hospital have been grounded for long time and have no oxygen facilities.
“The whole hospital has only one driver and it’s impossible for him to operate 24hrs in a day for months. A visit to the State hospital will reveal the obsolete state of the hospital, it is either they are non-functioning, obsolete or comatose.
The situation of Adeoyo general hospital is what is obtainable in all the State owned hospitals across the State and a sad reminder of the governance failure under the ruling All Progressives Congress of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
“The staffing is grossly inadequate and poorly remunerated. The Primary Health Centres across the State relies on ad-hoc staff to attend to patients thereby putting lives of the poor citizens in danger. Till date, the health workers are being owed by the Oyo State government, probably this may account for low morale among the staffers. Many people have had agony experiences in all the Oyo State owned government hospitals, apart from lack of constant electricity and non functional generating sets, patients fetch water from home or buy pure water for their usages in the hospital.
“Adeoyo State Hospital as at today is a morgue not a health care facility. The Adeoyo hospital has no functioning X-ray machine and oxygen bottle. The PHCN had to disconnect electricity to the hospitals due to nonpayment of electricity bill, It is surprising that at this modern age, rechargeable lanterns are being used to take child birth delivery in the hospital while the entrance of the hospital have been taking over by weeds and refuse. That we lost a promising and a rising star like Olufemi Oluwajobi is a clear indication that the Oyo State health sector is another failure like education, agriculture, sports, infrastructures and other sectors.
“Of what purpose is the N50 billion endowment fund generated by the Oyo State government to revamp the health sector and what has the Oyo State led APC government done with the federal allocations, IGR and external aides that ran into billions of Naira in the last six years and six months. What has been the significant difference in our PHCs and general hospitals prior to the emergence of Abiola Ajimobi and now?”
But the ruling All Progressives Congress through its Director, Media, Research and Strategy, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olatunde, said the death of the young man was regrettable but described PDP’s allegations as laughable
The APC said: “Honestly, the death of the young man is regrettable but that doesn’t make the Government of Senator Abiola Ajimobi culpable. The accusation of recently launched N50 billion Health infrastructure endowment fund doesn’t hold water as it is meant to tackle Infrastructural deficit occasioned by 8years of Governance hiatus by PDP in every facet of life, although not much was realized from the launching.
Infact, the little that was realized is being targeted for first quarter of 2018 utilization, according to the Board saddled with its management.
“However, apart from Government unfailing annual appropriation to Health Sector, Government has attracted Drugs and Medical Equipment Donation, valued at #200m from European Donors which are on ground for anyone to see. Further clarification of enquiry are advised to be channeled to either Honourable Commissioner for Health or Chairman State Hospital Management board.”
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