By Kemi Olaitan
The management of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Wednesday denied receiving N118 million from the Oyo State Government to fight Covid-19.
The state Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinola Ojo, while giving a breakdown of the money spent to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, on Tuesday, had said N118 million was given to UCH.
But the management of the hospital, in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Toye Akinrinlola, said its investigation revealed that the money was given to the College of Medicine of the University of Ibadan.
The statement read: “We contacted some officials of Oyo State for a clarification on this, but it seems there is a misunderstanding in the difference between the College of Medicine of the University of Ibadan and the University College Hospital, Ibadan. It therefore behoves the management of the UCH to put the record straight. We hereby state emphatically that the University College Hospital, Ibadan did not and has not received any monetary donation from the Oyo State Government.
“The Chief Medical Director of the UCH is a member of the Oyo State COVID-19 Taskforce. He should know if any money was given to UCH outside the 250 pieces of the PPE given to the hospital.
“All other services rendered to Oyo State by UCH have been strictly humanitarian and no financial benefits have accrued to the hospital. The UCH has been able to cope with the rigours of pandemic through donations from the NCDC (an organ of the federal government), some corporate bodies, well meaning Nigerians, Alumni associations of the hospital, staff and students of the hospital.
“I therefore wish to say once again that the UCH is not in receipt of any N118m as claimed by the Oyo State Government.”
