It is important to set the record straight before certain segment of the public is misled by political opportunists, who have become desperate in recent months.

First, Ogun has no seven-point agenda as the reporter of the stories claimed; we have a five-cardinal programme. The general public is very much aware that Amosun never promised free health for all citizens of Ogun during his electioneering campaign. What he promised, which is the second cardinal programme of the administration, was Efficient Health Care Delivery.

He, however, said pregnant women, children up to the age of 5 years and the elderly above 70, would receive free health services.

The free component of the health objective could not be implemented immediately, as the new government discovered to its chagrin that the debt portfolio and rot in the health sector were deeper than what the public knew.

The state of decay is illustrated by the fact that the nearly 800 qualified health workers recently employed have still not been quite enough to plug the gap in human resources bequeathed to this government. Today, Governor Amosun has continued to devote billions of Naira that should otherwise have gone into development to offset inherited debts.

The challenges listed by Ogun NMA chairman at a recent press briefing were all inherited, and spread over decades. And I do not know yet of any administration in the world that has the magic wand to completely solve such enormous problems within just 30 months in office.

The start-off point was renovation of primary health care centres across the state; in addition, they were provided with generating set and borehole. I am astounded that this escaped the attention of the Chairman in the said press conference despite the fact that health professionals across the country continue to harp on the importance of primary health care and service delivery to the grassroots.

General hospitals, including dental centres across the state are gradually being renovated. Also, to fill the equipment gap, a massive consignment of equipment was imported and distributed- (Autoclaves, oxygen concentrators, x-ray machines, ultrasound machines, portable ventilators, ECG machines, defibrillators,  dental chairs, operating microscopes, consumables, stethoscopes, blood pressure machines, fridges, blood banks, etc, etc.) The NMA Chair should have acknowledged these massive investments.

What he also did not mention was the mountain of arrears of salaries owned workers which has been cleared as well as the increase in staff employed in OOUTH, and the rapid conduct of delayed annual promotion exercises conducted there on the approval of the Governor.

Today, in at least 9 Local Government Areas, extremely poor pregnant women are enjoying free health services. In fact, under the Gbomoro initiative, the women not only enjoy free health services but are given transport money and free ante-natal materials and after birth, they receive a ‘mama kit’ with more material gifts for mother and baby.

The scheme has been a great success. So far, MATERNAL MORTALITY OF ENROLEES IS ZERO SINCE THE SCHEME BEGAN. This is a record-breaking achievement for any government. It is expected, of course, that this scheme will be rolled out to all the local government areas in due course.

Statistics of deliveries in our government clinics are showing rapid increases – a testament to the improving quality of care which is impacting positively on maternal and infant mortality.

Much effort is being directed towards improving health literacy. In areas concerning maternal and child health, malaria and HIV/AIDS, for example, government is using education (awareness enlightenment) as  vaccine against ill-health!

Three interconnected strands can be gleaned from the Efficient Health Care Delivery programme of the administration: (a) rehabilitation and construction of heath care centres with provision of modern facilities and adequate medical personnel that are motivated with enviable conditions of service (b) introduction of Community Based Health Insurance Scheme (CBHIS), where every individual contributes a token (a premium) to access qualitative (and by implication) affordable health services; (c) and from the template of CBHIS. In addition to the ongoing Gbomoro initiative, the dream of Governor Amosun is fulfilled, as government takes over the payment of premium for the three categories of citizens to enjoy free health services.

The NMA, according to the Commissioner for Health, Dr Olaokun Soyinka, should have an idea of the immense complexity of designing and running a health insurance scheme. The Primary Health Care Development Board is finalising the development of a robust and technologically-driven system. Initial field tests have been conducted. HMOs have been engaged and community sensitization is underway; the launch will ‘convince all doubters’.

The health policy of the administration is therefore on course in spite of the inherited daunting challenges.

What happened in the case of the doctors under the aegis of the Nigeria Media Association (NMA), OgunState chapter was that the union obtained some loans that the previous administration guaranteed.

The repayments were deducted from their monthly salaries spread across 3 years. The deductions were, however, not remitted to banks as and when due. This administration paid off all deductions that had been made but, unfortunately, heavy penalties had already been added by the banks resulting in a debt that was unfortunately held against the borrowers.  The situation is being resolved with active government involvement.

The future holds some major initiatives that will put  the state on the global healthcare map. The government has signed a MoU with an International Group to build a state-of-the-art Cancer Institute in Sagamu, the first of its kind in Africa.

A number of new general hospitals will soon be developed to reduce pressure on existing hospitals and add to the capacity to cope with our booming population.

Development is a work-in-progress. With the physical and administrative structures being put in place, state-of-the-art equipment being supplied to the hospitals, the international collaboration that are yielding concrete results, Gbomoro and CBHIS, among others, there is no doubt that our health programme – Efficient Health Care Delivery – is on course.

The media, labour unions, etc should be stakeholders in the task of nation-building. There is need for journalists to cross check their facts and figures and union leaders should be wary of comments that border on political agitation and outside the purview of extant labour laws.

It is noteworthy that due to the ambience provided by the Amosun administration, labour leaders in OgunState now express themselves freely. It was not so in the past. Nonetheless, we should all regard freedom and responsibility as two sides of a coin.

Soyombo is media aide to the Ogun State Governor