2015 Budget: Ogun Assures Citizens Of Improved Healthcare Ogun State Government has reiterated its commitment to improving the healthcare service delivery of the citizens with adequate attention paid to primary, secondary and tertiary health in the State. The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka stated this during the 2015 Budget defence before the Finance and Appropriation Committee of the State House of Assembly in Abeokuta. Dr. Soyinka said that the total expenditure for the State Health Sector comprising Ministry of Health, Primary Healthcare Development Board and Hospitals Management Board amounts to N11, 033, 700, 000 with an overall capital expenditure of N7,324, 700, 000 and recurrent expenditure of N3, 669, 000, 000. It would be recalled that the health sector of the State was allotted with 10% of the State’s total budget allocation in line with government’s resolve to consolidate its execution of its healthcare policies. Dr. Soyinka stated that the health sector in the State was poised for a turnaround in the next fiscal calendar as the budget focuses on capital expenditure such as the construction of a cancer centre, upgrade of ambulance services and purchase of vehicles for registration and monitoring of private medical facilities which would considerably generate revenue for the State. “The 2015 budget will witness a turnaround in all the three tiers of the health sector in the State as a cancer centre will be constructed while medical equipment will be procured and programmes that are capable of improving the health status of the citizens will be embarked upon. Although we are not a major IGR generating sector, we propose to purchase more vehicles that would facilitate registration of new medical centres and generate some revenue,” he said The Commissioner also pointed out that the State would construct modern maternal and child hospitals at the three Senatorial Districts of the State to further improve the maternal and child health, adding that counterpart funding is a major highlight for consideration by the Finance and Appropriation Committee. “I would like the Chairman and the Committee members to highlight counterpart funding as a major aspect of the budget. It is prompt release of counterpart funds that unlocks access to larger funds from our development partners and several other non-governmental organizations,” he noted Responding to a question fielded by a member of the Committee on what the Ministry was doing to help save lives during the ongoing health workers strike, Soyinka stated that the Ministry has enjoyed some level of co-operation from the unions in terms of compromising in some peculiar emergency situations but not much could be done if the strike is not called off.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 12:31:58 +0000