Governor Godwin Obaseki – “I don’t regret demolishing Central Hospital”

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki recently stunned many when he defended the demolition of the Central Hospital in Benin City, asserting that he has no regrets having done that. This decision was made in 2022 as part of the government’s move to rebrand the health care system in Edo State, especially as regards to some observations made during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Upon the official commissioning of the renovated Edo State College of Health Sciences and Technology, Obaseki expounded on the vision to have an optimal health care system and asserted that primary health care facilities are better than the conventional hospital system.

Why the Hospital was Demolished

The action taken by Governor Godwin Obaseki to pull down the Central Hospital was not a decision that was arrived at whimsically. He further said that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to the notice of everyone that the health infrastructure in Edo State and indeed in Nigeria needs an upgrade.

“COVID-19 made me aware of the standard of health care in Edo State and Nigeria,”

He noted that there is a need for a strong health care response. It is important to note that they were not about the disease but how the state was poised to handle it or other catastrophes.

“It was specifically our limited capacity to act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that scared me about the coronavirus”

 

Since then, the Obaseki administration has made a proactive effort in constructing over ten primary healthcare centers to address service gaps that Central Hospital used to provide. He said,

“Instead of the central hospital that has been pulled down, we have established over ten primary health care facilities that attend to the population that one hospital would have catered for.”

Such a change has propelled more emphasis on the fact that healthcare should be more decentralized and brought closer to where patients are.

A New Vision for Healthcare

The governor’s vision goes beyond infrastructure, extending to the health care needs of the state as a whole, including the training and growth of healthcare professionals.

He noted;

“Healthcare is not confined to hospitals and infrastructure but to people who need to be prepared to take the service to the people,”

This view also raises the issue of capacity in human resources to make health care systems operational and ready for operation.

Governor Godwin Obaseki also mentioned the lack of adequate training of health workers in the state in the past years. He also said that most schools, which include the School of Science and Nurses, had been closed without accreditation, and this hampered the state’s ability to produce qualified health care practitioners. “How are we therefore going to get people to work in our hospitals?” he questioned, pointing out that the health system required a feasible and consistent pool of skilled health staff to support it.

Review: Health Policy Amid COVID-19

The effectiveness of healthcare policies has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Edo State is no exception. What transpired in the state during the pandemic made Governor Godwin Obaseki to ensure that he refurbishes and revives all health institutions in the state.

Thus, he said,

“If God has given me the grace to survive COVID-19, then I will make sure that all the health institutions in Edo State will be renovated and brought back to life”.

This commitment highlights the fact that many leaders have started to think and act to try to reinforce health systems following the lessons learned during the pandemic.

This strategy also combines a political plan, as the governor seeks to facilitate a health care center in every political ward in Edo State. He said that there has to be at least one health center in each ward, and this he noted highlighted the issue of access in the provision of health care services. One of the objectives of this policy is to minimize the time patients are required to cover before getting treatment, and this should not take more than 15 to 20 minutes.

Building a Sustainable Healthcare System

The governor’s health care reform is not only for the emergencies of the current political dispensation but also for posterity’s health emergency. He went further to state that Edo State requires over 250 000 health workers for the primary health care system, implying a shortage that needs to be filled. He established that the key attention is given to the middle personnel in building any system in any country, such as a health system or an agriculture system; thus, he called for training and maintaining health-competent personnel.

The vision that the Governor Godwin Obaseki has for healthcare in Edo State is lofty and seeks to accomplish the provision of networked and adequately equipped primary healthcare centers in the state. Through societal advancement and training, Obaseki plans to build up the sector to support steady health demands of the populace as well as respond actively to disease outbreaks.

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Conclusion

Controversy erupted when the governor ordered the pulling down of the Central Hospital in Benin City; however, the situation was clear: Governor Godwin Obaseki was determined to upgrade health care in Edo State. This way he is positive that not only will healthcare delivery be closer to the populace and more adequate to train additional health workers, but the primary health care delivery system is well poised to handle future health challenges. As he said, “I brought it down and I have no regrets about it,” implying that he thought this decision would be beneficial for the state of Edo’s health care sector as a whole.

The way forward will no doubt demand more attention and improvement, but with direction and determined reform, Edo State stands a better chance at a healthier future for its people.