Makinde Approves Establishment for Nursing home in Ibadan

Governor Seyi Makinde has approved the establishment of a modern healthcare facility for Oyo State senior citizens to complement the Oyo State Government’s efforts to provide healthcare for all Oyo citizens, irrespective of age.

The Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Bashir Bello shared this on Thursday while he fielded questions from journalists about the health sector successes enjoyed by the present administration just two years after Governor Makinde was inaugurated.

The Commissioner stated that the Geriatric center would improve the health of senior citizens by focusing on the prevention and treatment of diseases and disabilities beginning in August 2021. He also stated that various nutritionists, consultants, and other highly-trained medical professionals have already begun training to prepare for the opening of the facility.

He further added that legal backing for the center is already underway and will soon be delivered by the Oyo State Ministry of Justice, adding that renovation has already begun at the Jericho, Ibadan site of the proposed center.

In his words: “The administration thinks of how our elders are going to age gracefully, so the Ministry is packaging a Geriatric center for the elderly, already this has been endorsed by the State executive council and currently being finalized by the Ministry of Justice for an onward movement to the State House of Assembly.”

“So we are having the support of almost all arms, including especially the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources for installation of alternative power facilities in our health institutions, especially the PHCs and this new Geriatric center at Jericho in Ibadan.”

“The center is like the Nursing Home in the United State of America, we want our elderly, who might be retired administrators, businessmen or women or of whatever status in the society, to come there in the morning, get medical attention, recreate among themselves and towards evening, their families will come and take them home, this will add more to their happiness and they will not just be aging, but be aging well.”

Dr. Bashir stated that all foundation elements of the geriatric center have already been put in place and promised that the center will begin operations at the end of the year.

At the moment, only the University College Hospital (UCH) has a geriatric facility in the state which was donated by Chief Tony Anenih and Sir Kensington Adebutu. The difference in both facilities is that the one donated to UCH is a federal establishment while the facility being built in Jericho is established by the Oyo State Government, for use by all elderly people in the state regardless of their social status or financial influence.