Osinbajo: N34 Billion Folorunsho Alakija Hospital Facility at UniOsun will Discourage Medical

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo 

Former vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has said the N34 billion Modupe and Folorunso Alakija Medical Research and Training Hospital built for Osun State University would help to discourage medical tourism in the country.

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke; Osinbajo; National Secretary of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola; and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola were at the commissioning of the hospital built for Osun State University, recently.

It would be recalled that the foundation of the hospital was laid in 2018 and Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Clement Adebooye, disclosed that UniOsun will have the best teaching hospital in Nigeria, courtesy of their Chancellor, Apostle (Dr) Folorunso Alakija, who had donated the over N34 billion complex.

In his remarks at the commissioning, Osinbajo said the facility will make the institution stand out as a monument to life, and a sanctuary of healing, and forge for the next generation of African medical excellence.

He recalled that the facility was not for contemporary health care and research alone but as a hospital designed for the future of netizens in Africa with a 250-bed capacity.

According to him, “This Hospital represents promise and potential. At a time when our regions still send too many patients abroad for advance care, this institution points in a different direction.

“A future where care is delivered closer to home, medical professionals are trained to global standards within our Africa and research to relevant to African reality are conducted by African scientists on African soil.

“We sustain the investment in people partnership and research. This hospital has the potential to evolve into the leading regional health centre, serving not only Nigeria but Africa has a whole.”

Adeleke stressed that the facility was first of its kind in Africa, which must be protected and promoted. He praised the philanthropic gesture of Alakija, saying the business mogul opened the vistas of opportunity by donating the all-in-one facility for the usage of everyone, including global communities.

Vice Chancellor of the University, Clement Adebooye, pleaded with the institution’s Governing Council to ensure that people who will be appointed to run and work in the hospital were responsible and responsive to lead with dignity and total commitment.

Mrs. Alakija said she was driven by a vision to revolutionise healthcare in Nigeria, and following extensive consultations with reputable international medical experts, architects, and project engineers.

She stated, “We conceived a hospital that would end medical tourism overseas, improve the wellness of Nigerians, and serve as a training centre for core health professionals.

“The Hospital is comprised of 250 admission beds, 20 Clinical Departments, 5 non-Clinical Departments, Community Health Unit, Maternity and Neonatal Medicare, Research and Diagnostics Laboratories, 4 State-of-the-art operating theatres, cutting-edge diagnostic imaging inclusive of CT scan, MRI scanning facility, ultrasound scanning facility, X-ray and radiotherapy suites, 16 /CUs, Ophthalmology unit, modern mortuary, several facilities to encourage and improve healthcare delivery research among others.”