An Open Letter To His Excellency, Eng. Seyi Makinde

By: Asiwaju Abiodun Abdul'azeez

I want to use this opportunity to congratulate you on your re-election, but it’s with a heavy heart i write to you on the issue of the dilapidated health care sector in my Hometown; Iseyin. Over the years, we have witnessed the maximum support and turnouts of electorates in order to cast their vote for the right candidate, and unarguably Sir, you have enjoyed this decorum–like reactions. Firstly, i must establish the fact that i was born and raised in iseyin town, so beyond ink and paper, i am qualified to draw your attention towards certain slaps raping our locality’s cheeks. 

Your Excellency Sir, it is pertinent to appreciate your kindness towards Iseyin and its environs by reconstructing Ibadan to Iseyin road, Ogbomosho to Iseyin road, Oyo to Iseyin road, relocation of Faculty of Agriculture; Ladoke Akintola University to our dear hometown and many more that are still on the way in your second term that would kickstart very soon. I learnt that The University would commence activities in a short while, which some of us are anticipating for such a climax of development. Sir, there is this depiction that you are people’s choice whom citizens hope that can get rid of their tears, and of course you have truly inhibited some tears with your kindness in these past years, but the moment we need you in extension is now. 

Your Excellency Sir, we have witnessed the prudence of a good governance under your watch, and the dividend of democracy is not left out, but i have come to draw your attention like the cry of a new born baby seeking his mother’s nipple. Sir, Basically, Primary Health Care is one of the vitals of a good governance, and according to World Health Organization (WHO), Primary Health Care is an essential care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable method and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost they and the country can afford to maintain in the spirit of self reliance and self determination. In addition, primary health care reflects and evolves from the economic conditions and sociocultural and political characteristics of the country and its communities. Addresses the main health problems in the community providing promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services, It includes education concerning prevailing health problems and the methods of preventing and controlling them. It involves, in addition to the health sector, all related sectors and aspects of national and community development, example, education, housing and beyond; but i shall center my observation and clarion call on the curative and rehabilitative services. 

It breaks my heart each time i visit General Hospital, Iseyin due to certain anomalies flying like a night bird, religiously, in some context, sickness and death are beyond man’s knowledge, nevertheless, there is need for a better health care system in our community. Permit me to remind you that in 2011, Iseyin population was about 362, 990, and this was about twelve years ago, and it is visible to the blind that there are only two Government health care facilities that are functioning/under-functioning; General Hospital Odo-Omu and Maternity Center, Oja Oba. 

In the case of Maternity Center, the responsibilities are narrowly channeled to perhaps the Obstetric and Gynecology, but my major concern is the poor performance of the General Hospital which is the hope of every common man like me who does not have money to bear the cost of private hospitals, i may be wrong in this regard but averagely, General Hospital Iseyin hardly have a Physician on call after working-hours which is definitely not applicable in some parts of the State. Sir, my people have lost trust in the healthcare delivery system of the General Hospital, Iseyin due to their lackadaisical attitudes towards managing several emergency cases, of course this may not be the fault of workers but the management at all levels of health sector, hence, the sick people prefer patronizing herbal homes which reduce the cost of their treatment but a reminder that this has limitations; considering the diagnosis and often time when surgical cases are required. 

A reminder that there are other primary health care centers at the outskirts of Iseyin as a local Government which we expect General Hospital to be their secondary facility but unfortunately even the secondary facility can not serve its roles due to several factors which you're being called upon to assign checkers as a sole administrator of our dear state. Recall that our sister towns; the likes of Ibadan has University College Hospital (UCH) and Adeoyo Memorial Hospital among others, to some extent, they deliver their roles averagely, Ogbomosho has a teaching hospital which performs very fairly, Oyo town has a functioning General Hospital, also, Saki, and what have we done in Iseyin to deserve this negligence, enhancing lost of lives to unnecessary carelessness. 

In the same vein, quack health care providers are now flowing in Iseyin streets, i even learnt they now learn how to be a physician under the shelter of illiteracy, this could happen in an environment that pays less attention to the health care of its people, and this should definitely be a slap on the twenty first century. Like i have mentioned earlier, ruling out diagnosis is key in managing ailments, and who could do this, our physicians but countless times, nurses at the General Hospital explain to us as client that Physicians are not around, and the aftermath of this reaction could be death or unimaginable complications.

Sir, i am appealing to you to do something very urgent regarding this request, many people have died in the hands of poor management of their ailment, and these quacks aforementioned operate blindly with zero knowledge of what, when, how and where to administer medications. 

In conclusion, there is need to appoint Senior Physicians, Resident Doctors, Pharmacists, Nurses, Medical Laboratory Scientists and other health care providers in order to achieve the desire of Omituntun 2.0, also, there is need to install equipments in our dear General Hospital for effective diagnosis, there is also need to close down unregistered health care facilities which accommodate and train quacks that expose our loved ones to dangers, there is need to swift to action by preventing irreversible health complications, even if lives are not lost. We would be glad if you could as well replicate every functioning department at Adeoyo Memorial Hospital to our owned General Hospital in Iseyin, we would definitely appreciate that, and posterity would never erase your fame on the walls of memory. 

Thanks so much for reading my letter Your Excellency, God bless you richly. 

Sincerely,

Asiwaju Abiodun Abdul'azeez