Edo to handover new central hospital to private operator

Edo State Government said it would hand over the operations and management of the newly reconstructed Central Hospital in the state to whoever has the necessary and required expertise to run it.

The State Gvernor, Godwin Obaseki gave the hint during a two-day workshop on Health organized by the state government in Benin-City on Monday with the theme: Remodeling Health Care Delivery in Edo State: New Vision;  New Horizon.

“I am prepare to open up the reconstructed central hospital in the state and give it to whoever will be able to manage the facility”, he said

Obaseki also disclosed that his administration was committed to strengthening of the state’s health institutions to allow for effective training of manpower to run health facilities in the state.

He noted that accessibility of health care and who should pay for health care services were issues his administration was seeking ways of tackling.

He however called on the health practitioners to explore the potential of traditional medicines as a way of supplementing conventional medicines.

The governor also disclosed that his administration would in the next 60 days set up a committee to domesticate the National Health Act in the state.

“The State House of Assembly should be able to examine the provisions of the Act and get it domesticated in the state within a 90 day period”, he added.

He further disclosed that a health master plan would be finalized for the state based on the recommendations of the workshop.

The governor, who said a team would be drawn from the participants of the workshop to help formulate the health master plan for the state, commended the participants of the workshop for their contributions.

He stated that his administration was committed to remodelling of the state’s health sector.

“We must begin to see our health system as an ecosystem where resources can easily flow between the public and private health sectors.”

“We are ready to have consultations on how to collaborate with private providers into incorporating them into our state’s health plan”, he said.

IDRIS UMAR MOMOH