Governor Seyi Makinde has approved the establishment of a modern healthcare center for the elderly in Oyo State, to complement the present administration efforts at providing healthcare to the people from pregnancy to the old age stage. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bashir Bello stated this on Thursday in Ibadan while answering questions from newsmen on the success of the present administration in the health sector within the first two years of the incumbent administration. Bello hinted that the Geriatric center, with the focus to promote the health of the elderly by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities would commence operation by August 2021, as medical professionals like nutritionists, consultants among other medical practitioners have been trained in readiness for the operation of the center. He said the legal backing for the establishment of the center is currently being fine-tuned by the State Ministry of Justice, while renovation work was already ongoing at the center at Jericho in Ibadan. “The administration thinks of how our elders are going to age gracefully, so the Ministry is packaging a Geriatric center for the elderly, already this has been endorsed by the State executive council and currently being finalized by the Ministry of Justice for an onward movement to the State House of Assembly.
“So we are having the support of almost all arms, including especially the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources for installation of alternative power facilities in our health institutions, especially the PHCs and this new Geriatric center at Jericho in Ibadan. “The center is like the Nursing Home in the United State of America, we want our elderly, who might be retired administrators, businessmen or women or of whatever status in the society, to come there in the morning, get medical attention, recreate among themselves and towards evening, their families will come and take them home, this will add more to their happiness and they will not just be aging, but be aging well.” Dr. Bashir reiterated that the center will begin operation towards the end of the year, as all foundation elements have been put into place. Presently, only the University College Hospital (UCH) has the Geriatric facilities in Oyo State, donated by Chief Tony Anenih and Sir Kesington Adebutu, which care for the elderly patients of the federal institution, but the State Geriatric center, according to the State Commissioner for Health, will care for all elderly people, without recourse to social status or financial influence.
