ABUAD CMD Decries Bad Roads, Lack of Airport in Ekiti
Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Afe Babalola University Multi- System Hospital (AMSH), Dr. Kolawole Ogundipe, has lamented the continued absence of a functional airport and motorable federal roads in Ekiti.
Ogundipe, who is a former Chief Medical Director of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, made this known, while addressing newsmen in Ado-Ekiti yesterday on the exploits of the other annexes of the hospital across the state, and what they are doing free, to further serve the communities, and enhance the accessibility of healthcare.
According to him, these factors are seriously constituting huge challenges and also affecting the genuine interest, as well as the resolve of founder of the university and hospital, Chief Afe Babalola, (SAN), in putting an end to medical tourism in the country.
He regretted that Babalola had invested so much in his desires to help the federal government in bringing quality healthcare, capable of putting a stop to medical tourism in the country.
“ The kind of healthcare services you get here in AMSH is at par with what you will get overseas.
“The challenges we face here are numerous. Though we understand that there is nobody who embarks on a good project that will not face challenges. However, these are challenges that are not also exclusive to us, it also affects you journalists. On your way here, I know that you passed through bad roads to get here because no federal road leads to this place.
“A number of persons who would have loved to be here, if there was a functional airport in Ekiti State cannot come, and that is quite unfortunate,” he said.
He added: “When we have a functional airport, that can be taken care of, but as of today, we are still faced with a challenge that we don’t have functional airport.
“Rather, people have to rely on the nearest airport, which is in Akure, and then face the security challenge that is on the road.
“There is none of us who want to go to Akure now that wont first pray before we embark on the journey. These are the challenges that those who are also coming to patronise us are also facing.
“If we can eliminate this, we will have resolved a bulk of our challenges. Above all, earnings of many Nigerians now cannot even take them home, not to talk of taking them to the hospital, and taking them back”.
The CMD, however, said that despite all the challenges, the hospital still had scores of patients, coming from man countries, especially The United Kingdom and Canada, who do come regularly to the hospital, or some who would have loved to come to the hospital, but they don’t have the funds.
“What has happened to the health insurance, and has the government been able to provide health insurance for all the populace.
“We hope that we can also rise together and resolve these challenges.
“If you are living abroad and you are leaving there to come home for that purpose.
“Ekiti is landlocked, and all the federal roads, leading to the state are bad, and there is only one direct flight to Ekiti, which is Akure, you discover that the problems are enormous, but we are hoping that one day, it will be taken care of.”
