By Kemi Olatunde
Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has been commended for his unprecedented interventions in the state’s healthcare system.
The recent measures range from salary harmonisation and staff recruitment to infrastructure rehabilitation, free medical procedures and the acquisition of new ambulances.
Speaking with THE HOPE on the government’s interventions, the Chairman of the Ondo State Hospitals Management Board (HMB), Dr. Oluwafemi Akeredolu, noted that the present administration had demonstrated a strong commitment to improving healthcare delivery and the welfare of medical personnel across the state.
According to him, one of the major milestones of the administration is the decision to place doctors and other health workers employed by the Ondo State Government on the same salary structure as their counterparts working for the Federal Government.
He described the development as a historic departure from previous arrangements, noting that state-employed medical personnel had, in the past, received significantly less than federal workers.
“This is the first time in the history of Ondo State where doctors and health workers will be paid the same salary as those working for the Federal Government,” he said, stressing that the policy had helped to improve the attractiveness of state health institutions to medical professionals.
He further noted that pharmacists in the state civil service had also benefited from a review of their career progression, with the government approving advancement to Grade Level 17.
He noted that before the intervention, pharmacists in the state civil service could rise only to Grade Level 16.
Chairman of the board also highlighted the absorption of more than 900 casual workers attached to the state’s health institutions, stating that Governor Aiyedatiwa had approved their absorption into the system, subject to existing civil service rules, including age requirements.
He stated that for workers who might not qualify for formal absorption because of their age, the government had directed that they should not simply be discarded after years of service.
The intervention, he said, reflected an effort to recognise the contributions of workers who had spent years serving the health sector.
Beyond personnel welfare, the government was also praised for expanding access to medical care through free surgical interventions and other services, including Caesarean sections.
Dr. Akeredolu described the administration as a “silent achiever” in the state’s health sector, arguing that several of its interventions were gradually transforming healthcare facilities across Ondo State.
Speaking further, he disclosed that the government had acquired more than 12 ambulances within the last five months and renovated more than 23 vehicles belonging to the HMB to strengthen emergency response and improve the operational capacity of healthcare institutions across the state.
He said the impact of the interventions could also be seen in several hospitals, where rehabilitation and other innovations were reportedly being undertaken.
Another area mentioned was the renovation of the state’s air ambulance facility, which he said had remained abandoned for years.
He said the government had approved its rehabilitation, creating what he described as a more suitable environment for healthcare-related operations.
While drawing attention to the administration’s recent expansion of the health workforce, he revealed that more than 1,500 workers had initially been recruited by the board, while the Primary Health Care Development Board had employed more than 1,000 additional personnel.
Combined with interns and other categories of workers traditionally engaged annually, he estimated that more than 3,000 people had been added to the health workforce in 2026.
The expansion, he said, was significant, as adequate staffing remained essential to improving the quality and availability of healthcare services, particularly at the primary healthcare level.
He warned newly employed health workers against taking the government’s improved remuneration for granted and urged doctors, nurses and other health professionals to reciprocate the government’s investment by demonstrating commitment to their duties and providing quality services to residents.
“The governor is paying doctors, paying nurses, paying everybody. It is not time for them not to be going to their work, to their duties,” he said.
According to him, the administration expected the newly recruited personnel to justify the resources being committed to their salaries by putting the interests of patients and residents first.
He said workers who failed to meet expectations would face disciplinary measures.
He appealed to residents and health workers to continue supporting the government’s reforms, arguing that sustained commitment would be necessary for the interventions to produce lasting results.
He maintained that the combination of improved remuneration, expanded manpower, equipment, ambulance acquisition, facility rehabilitation and free medical interventions represented a significant investment in the state’s healthcare system.