Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has said special attention will be given to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.
He urged the new OOUTH board to think outside the box for solution to the problems facing the tertiary health institution.
“I expect you to be innovative and adaptive. In fact, you may have to make bricks without straws. You may have to think not just outside the box, but in fact without the box,” Prince Abiodun said while inauguration the board of the teaching hospital at his office in Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.
He noted that the board’s role include ensuring that OOUTH “plays its role as a leading research, medical training institution as well as a first-class hospital.”
Abiodun said his administration’s determination to return the institution to its glorious days made it imperative to inaugurate the 12-member board, four years after it became moribund.
“The inauguration of this governing council is another symbolic representation of our administration’s commitment to place OOUTH on a firm and solid ground towards returning OOUTH to its glory and ensuring that it remains the pride of all of us by continuing to fulfil the dreams of the founding fathers.
“OOUTH is not just an institution of higher learning, but also a research, medical training and health care facility. While I will restate that our educational institutions will receive their due attention from our administration, OOUTH will receive a special attention because of these combined responsibilities,” he said.
The governor, who recalled the precarious situation the hospital was in, some months ago, expressed happiness that his government had resolved most of the issues that led to the dwindling fortunes of the institution.
He said: “OOUTH is a baby that must live and stand shoulder with its contemporaries across the globe.”
Describing the council members as men and women of unimpeachable integrity and of sound footing with diverse wealth of experience and wisdom, Prince Abiodun said his administration had invested the future of human capital development in health care, research and provided scholarship for them.
The Chairman of the council, Dr. Adekunle Hassan, noted that although the task ahead was huge, with the calibre of hands on deck, the council would surmount difficulties.
Hassan, a renowned ophthalmologist, hoped that the council would make a difference by repositioning the health institution to continue giving adequate medical training and rendering first-class health care services to the people.
Also on the governing council are Dr. Bisola Shodipo-Clark, Lekan Asuni, Mr. Solu Abimbola, Dr. Peter Adefuye, Chief Medical Director OOUTH Prof. Tola Olatunji, Provost College of Health Sciences (OOUTH) Prof. Adediwura, Fred Jaiyesimi, representative of Senate (OOU). Others are Prof. Ayodeji Johnson Agboola, Deputy Vice Chancellor (OOU); Dr. Bunmi Fatungase,
Chair, Medical Advisory Council (OOUTH); Dr. Oluwole Kukoyi, representing Nigeria Medical Association (NMA); Sammy Ogunjimi, representing the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and Dr. Solomon Sokunbi, Deputy Director, Hospital Services, Ministry of Health.