Special Report: Multi-Billion Naira Hospital Project Awaits Commencement Of Operations A Year After Commissioning In Osun

IN a bid to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Nigerian government, through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs (OSSAP-SDGs) built a 100-bed hospital in Osogbo, Osun State capital. 

Though completed and commissioned in 2022, the hospital, located at Oke-Onitea area of Osogbo, was yet to be put to use.

The hospital was under lock and key when OSUN DEFENDER visited the place in the early hours of Wednesday.

During the visit, a trader whose kiosk is located adjacent the hospital building, Daniel Adebimpe, lamented that the project has not served the host community since it was completed and commissioned over a year ago.

“Since the hospital was commissioned last year, they have not started working there, though it seems it has been equipped. There is a maternity home at Olude, a neighbouring community, which is a bit far. There is a private hospital in this area, but it is costly”, Adebimpe stated.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that the project is one of the projects awarded in Osun state by the OSSAP-SDGS in 2021 under the leadership of Adejoke Orelope-Adefulure, who was recently re-appointed to the same role by President Bola Tinubu.

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 17 SDGs aimed at tackling global challenges to create a sustainable and habitable environment for people worldwide. 

The third of the 17 SDGs aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all. It has a number of targets, and topping the list is the reduction of the rate at which pregnant women and new mothers die after childbirth to 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. Currently, the maternal mortality ratio in Nigeria is 1,047 per 100,000 live births.

Between 2000 and 2015, when the SDGs transformed from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Nigerian mortality rate reduced by 30.4 per cent from 1,174 deaths to 814 deaths per 100,000 live births. Even with this notable reduction, the country was unable to meet the MDGs target.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the maternal death rate, which revolves around post-abortions, childbirths, postnatal and prenatal care, is 1-in-22 in Nigeria, unlike developed countries with 1-in-4900. Globally, Nigeria is among the countries with the highest maternal death rate of nearly 20 per cent.

Also, in a 2023 State-of-State report by a civil society group, Budgit, Osun is recording 24 deaths in every 1000 birth. 

Budgit in the report revealed that 35.4% of the population of expectant mothers have attention from a medical doctor which place the state second lowest in the South-West.

In a bid to achieve the SDG in Osun State, the federal government, through the OSSAP-SDGs, awarded contracts for the provision of a 100-bed mother and child hospital in Osogbo and 80-bed hospital located in Iragbiji.

According to information on Govspend, a website that provides data on Federal Government expenditures, the sum of N2.53bn was released for the projects between 2021 and 2022. 

The projects were commissioned on June 29, 2022, and have since been handed over to the Osun state government.

OSUN DEFENDER observed that the hospital is affiliated to University of Osun Teaching Hospital (UTH), meaning that it is meant to refer patients in case of insufficient space at the main hospital.

The hospital signboard as observed by the medium has UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital – mother and child section, written on it.

However, reacting to the development, the Public Relations Officer of Teaching Hospital, Mr Wale Ajibolu, in a telephone interview with OSUN DEFENDER said effort was ongoing to put the facility into use soon.

Ajibolu stated that some equipment still needed to be moved into the place before it start operation.

He said:  “Work is ongoing to put the facility into use soon. some equipment still needed to be made available there after which personnel will be deployed for operation.”