Oyo approves special healthcare centre for the elderly
Governor Seyi Makinde has approved the establishment of a modern healthcare centre for the elderly in Oyo State, to complement the present administration’s efforts at making healthcare services available to all citizens.
The state commissioner for health, Bashir Bello announced this on Thursday in Ibadan while answering questions on the success of the present administration in the health sector in the last two years.
Bello hinted that the geriatric centre, with the focus to promote the health of the elderly by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities would commence operation by August 2021, as medical professionals like nutritionists, consultants among other medical practitioners have been trained in readiness for the operation of the centre.
He said the legal backing for the establishment of the centre is currently being fine-tuned by the ministry of justice, while renovation work is ongoing at the centre at Jericho, in Ibadan.
“The administration thinks of how our elders are going to age gracefully, so the ministry is packaging a geriatric centre for the elderly, already this has been endorsed by the state executive council and currently being finalised by the ministry of justice for an onward movement to the State House of Assembly.
“So we are having the support of almost all arms, including especially the ministry of justice, ministry of energy and mineral resources for installation of alternative power facilities in our health institutions, especially the PHCS and this new geriatric centre at Jericho in Ibadan.
“The centre is like the Nursing Home in the United State of America, we want our elderly, who might be retired administrators, businessmen or women or of whatever status in the society, to come there in the morning, get medical attention, recreate among themselves and towards evening, their families will come and take them home, this will add more to their happiness and they will not just be ageing, but be ageing well.”
Bashir, a medical doctor, reiterated that the centre will begin operation towards the end of the year, as all foundation elements have been put into place.