Osun: Significant Impacts Of Tax Payment On Paramedics By Wasiu Babalola

As people normally say, “Health is wealth”. The conceptual interpretation of this is that health is core to human survival to the extent that the totality of human existence is being governed by our health status. This means, a complete human being (of physically and mentally balanced) is as a result of the accessibility to good health.

Hearing the good healthcare delivery, what one’s mind would picture is the state of the healthcare structures, medical equipment, personnels as well as availability of drugs in the various hospitals alone, but beyond this, the accessibility to emergency care for patients in need as a result of accidents or any other vital reasons prior to their arrival at a hospital is also core to a good and efficient healthcare delivery.

In the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration has made a laudable and unprecedented achievement in the paramedical department of healthcare delivery by leaving no stone unturned, as adequate attention is also being given to mobile healthcare delivery system in the state.

Despite the meager revenue accruable from tax in Osun, the value for tax money is still felt in this direction, meaning that it is appropriate to say that it is not about numerical value of money we have that matters but how judicious we are in utilising such funds.

Although nobody prays to be a victim of circumstance, our daily activities propelled by day-to-day technological discoveries expose us to conscious and unconscious risks. This is why it is always wise to have plan for unforeseen contingencies. Going by this direction, Aregbesola administration is scored high. It is only those that have fallen victim of one mishap or the other on the road that can give testimony and commend as deserved on how helpful the mobile healthcare delivery system popularly known as O’ Ambulance had been.

For instance, the statistical analysis released from the State of Osun Ambulance Services (O’ Ambulance) reveals thus: “The Osun State Ambulance Services (O’Ambulance) rescued more than 2,000 people in 2016 through its prompt rescue operations during emergencies across the state.

In an end-of-the-year review of its activities submitted to the Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, the Director General of O’Ambulance, Mr. Akinloye, said the state ambulance service responded to more than 1,116 road traffic accident emergencies across the state last year.

Besides, O’Ambulance also responded to 178 cases of collapse, 348 hospital referral and 132 labour emergency cases all of which lives involved were saved, according to Mr. Akinloye.

The D.G stated that of 1,829 casualties involved in all the emergency cases, the agency was able to save 1,774 lives and recorded only 55 deaths arising from the cases.

He also revealed that of the 1,774 casualties saved, 1,116 were males while 658 were females. He added that of the 55 deaths recorded, 27 were males and 28 females.”

Added to this in the year 2017, over 600 people in the first quarter of this year have been rescued.

From the foregoing, it is very evident that the value of taxpayers’ money is felt in this direction as a result of the proactive measures taken by the incumbent administration to create a unit from the health sector saddled with the responsibility of attending to patients on emergency. If there is no such intervention, there would have been a lot of sad stories to tell.

This implies that the citizenry is always at the receiving end of tax benefits that is, the more they comply with tax payment, the more is the benefit and vice versa.

Therefore, the contribution of every stakeholder matters a lot, as we can together build a better future for our dear state. Pay your tax, it is your civic responsibility.

•Babalola is the Information Officer, OIRS.