Walk through any secondary hospital in Ondo State today, and the changes are palpable. Fresh paint adorns the walls. New mattresses replace the old ones on beds. Functional oxygen masks are now operational, and CCTV cameras monitor the hospital environment. Behind these improvements is Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, through the Ondo State Hospital Management Board, chaired by Dr Oluwafemi Akeredolu, who asserts that the funding for these upgrades comes from the hospitals’ own generated revenue.
This transformation is a hallmark of the state government led by Dr. Akeredolu’s leadership at the Ondo State Hospital Management Board (HMB), part of the “EASE Agenda” championed by His Excellency, Governor Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
The reforms extend beyond mere equipment upgrades. In the last three months, Governor Aiyedatiwa has purchased 12 brand new ambulances and distributed them across various hospitals in Ondo State. In a complementary effort, the HMB has renovated and resuscitated more than 8 abandoned ambulances. The HMB board has also embarked on a comprehensive renovation of hospitals and staff quarters across secondary health facilities. Wards are being repainted, dilapidated structures repaired, and, in many instances, old bed frames are being replaced entirely
To enhance patient welfare, the HMB Board has begun the systematic replacement of mattresses and bed sheets. For years, patients often use their own clothes for bed sheets. Today, this practice is changing ward by ward.
In a bid to improve hygiene and infection control, a statewide fumigation exercise was recently conducted across Ondo State hospitals. Hospital pharmacies are now being equipped with essential medications under the current HMB initiative.
In a first for the state, the Ondo HMB has installed 360 surveillance cameras across secondary hospitals to enhance security for patients, staff, and assets. The objective is to deter theft, monitor operations, and ensure accountability in service delivery.
Equally critical is the revival of the oxygen plant at Okitipupa State Specialist Hospital. For years, this facility was non-functional, resulting in referrals and delays in emergency care. Its restoration by HMB means that critical cases can now be managed locally.
Accountability: Where Is The Money Coming From?
Perhaps the most significant shift has been in how these projects are financed. According to the Board, the renovations, equipment, fumigation, cameras, and consumables are being funded from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) accruing to HMB.
This raises pressing questions: Where was all this income in the past? Why were hospitals allowed to deteriorate when revenue existed? What led to this lack of maintenance culture previously, with many blaming state governors for neglect?
Dr Akeredolu’s response, implicit in the Board’s actions, reflects a new culture of transparency and reinvestment. Rather than allowing revenue to disappear into opaque channels, it is being reinvested into the facilities that generated it.
This physical transformation is complemented by digital reforms. HMB has launched an official WhatsApp platform for complaints and feedback, allowing patients to connect directly with Chief Medical Directors, Medical Directors, and Board officials. Complaints are logged, acknowledged, and followed up, a move widely praised for placing citizens at the centre of governance.
Regarding staffing, HMB has initiated the verification of long-standing casual workers abandoned by previous administrations for possible conversion to permanent roles. The Board is also collaborating with the government to recruit additional doctors and nurses to address manpower shortages.
Under Governor Aiyedatiwa’s EASE Agenda, healthcare is prioritised as a core governance issue. With Dr Akeredolu at the helm of HMB, the focus has shifted from mere announcements to tangible outcomes: renovated wards, secured hospitals, operational oxygen supplies, and cleaner beds.
The message from the Board is clear: public hospitals can function effectively if the revenue they generate is accounted for and reinvested. For patients in Ondo, this is beginning to feel less like a slogan and more like a reality.
Starnews
