•Says Makinde govt providing needed funds, personnel cost
Oyo State Ministry of Health has declared as false the reported allegations of paucity of funds hitting the state’s isolation centres.
The ministry, which made the clarification in a statement released on Thursday, September 16, 2021, said that the allegations were untrue and baseless, adding that the state government had been providing adequate funds and personnel since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the state.
The ministry added that the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde had been taking proactive measures to improve the needs of the people of the state and ensure the smooth running of the isolation centres.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted a report by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Adebisi Ayoola, which provided details of operations of the isolation centres and government’s commitments to patients to debunk the claims.
It indicated that the claims that the isolation centres were not funded and that health workers had not been paid were strange and unfounded.
Dr Ayoola noted that the services being provided by the isolation centres in the state were adjudged excellent by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), adding that ever since the emergence of the Delta variant of COVID-19, the state’s isolation centres had redoubled their energy and were functioning effectively.
According to the statement, since the outbreak of the pandemic, the state government had been paying all COVID-19 isolation centres’ expenses through bank transfers, with banking instructions, adding that if there was any delay in payment along the line, it could be from the respective banks.
The statement read: “The claims made about the paucity of funds affecting Oyo State isolation centres are false and baseless. One would expect the reporter to investigate thoroughly and present facts rather than creating false information for the public.
“Since the advent of this administration, it has been taking proactive steps by improving the needs of the people, and ever since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the state, the government has been providing adequate funds for the running of the isolation centres and the personnel cost.
“Furthermore, the services being provided by the centres were ranked as world class by NCDC. Also, since the Delta variant started, all the different isolation centres remained open and they have been functioning effectively.
“So, there is no truth in what was alleged in the news report. Apart from effectively running the isolation centres, the state government is spending much money for the provision of delicious meals, accommodation and payment of allowances to its health workers.
“Equally, additional adhoc health workers were engaged. Hence, the reporter should find out the true position of things rather than going to press with fake news.”
