THE Deji-in-Council and the traditional chiefs of Akure, yesterday, protested against moves by the Ondo State government to make the State Specialist Hospitals in the metropolis an annex of the University of Medical Sciences, UNIMED, Teaching Hospital established in Ondo town.

Leading other prominent indigenes of the town to the State House of Assembly on protest, the traditional chiefs said they would resist the move by the State Government.


Recall that the state government had forwarded a bill to the Assembly to make Specialist Hospital in Akure, an annex of the Teaching Hospital in Ondo. In a protest letter presented on behalf of the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi; kingmakers and the people of Akure by Prof Segun Ojo, the people kicked against any move that would make the Specialist Hospital subservient to the one in any part of the state.

The petition reads: “The proposed action of making Akure hospital a subsidiary of the Teaching Hospital in Ondo would be a retrogressive step. “Akure remain the only State Government Headquarters of its ilk that has no resident tertiary health institution.

“Making the hospital an annex of the UNIMED Hospital at Ondo would be unfair for the mass of the people because access to emergency services would be problematic “This is to say that making the State Hospital a subsidiary would take away the top level medical facilities, personnel, services and opportunities from the vast majority of Ondo State residents in Akure.

“Instead of making the Akure Specialist Hospital a subsidiary of the Teaching Hospital in Ondo, the people asked the government to establish a tertiary health facility that would take care of the people living in Akure.”

Reacting on behalf of the State Government, the Information and Orientation Commissioner, Yemi Olowolabi said the issue of the status of the Specialist Hospital in Akure has been settled with the traditional ruler of the town.

Olowolabi said: “The people have no reason to express fear of making the Specialist Hospital in Akure, a branch of UNIMED Teaching Hospital as all the facilities and medical staff would increase instead of reducing. “The Specialist Hospital in Akure belonged to the government and could convert it to good use for the people of the town and the people of the state.”