Iba: Osun ancient town without medical doctor

Iba is an ancient town in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State with a population of about 70,000 people. Western education is not too far away from Iba. In fact, the traditional ruler of the town, the Eburu of Iba, Oba Adekunle AdeogunOkunoye Oyedeji, is a professor.

However, the town is not in any way close to modern healthcare services as there is no single medical doctor in the town.

Oba Oyedeji told Eko Trust that whenever his subjects got ill, they used herbs, and that if the case was serious, the sick person would be taken to Osogbo, the state capital, or other places to see a doctor.

The monarch said he was discussing with his friends in the medical field to facilitate the establishment of a hospital in the town and appealed to government to come to the aid of the town and provide access to quality healthcare delivery.

He said, “When a young man in this town was shot recently, he was rushed to Osogbo for treatment. We need a standard hospital with doctors in Iba. As I speak now, there is no single medical doctor in this town. We know that the state government is trying. I commend Governor Adegboyega Oyetola for his developmental drive. Our governor is performing well and doing great. He should please help us in Iba. We need doctors in this town.”

However, there was a temporary relief for the people of Iba recently when the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) took free medical outreach to the town with a full complement of a medical team comprising several medical doctors, pharmacists, laboratory scientists and nurses.

The NYSC medical team was in the town for three days and people trooped to the palace of the Eburu to access medical care.

The beneficiaries underwent series of tests and got drugs free.

Some of the beneficiaries, including an 80-year-old woman, Mrs Umaani Odere, and a 90-year-old man, Aogun Adetokun Adediran, said the medical outreach was timely and expressed gratitude to NYSC.

The Osun State Coordinator of NYSC, Mr Ayodele Adewale Adegoke, said the programme under the NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (NYSC-HIRD) was aimed at helping indigent people who needed treatment but could not afford medical bills.

Mr Adegoke said the Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, was committed to the initiative which was aimed at promoting the wellbeing of indigent persons at the grassroots by granting them easier access to free and quality healthcare.

Oba Oyedeji lauded the initiative and urged the corps to sustain it.