Community leaders in Ido-Osun, Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State, have appealed to the state and federal governments to intervene and revive an abandoned Sustainable Development Goal Primary Health Centre in the community.
The Olojudo of Ido-Osun, Oba Olayinka Ishola Jokotola II, made the appeal on Wednesday during an inspection visit to the abandoned facility.
The facility is located at Oke Sapo Surulere area, off Hallelujah Ringroad, Ido-Osun.
Oba Jokotola said the community has been making efforts to protect the facility and has also contributed funds towards repairing damaged parts of the building.
“The community has come together as one by donating certain amount of money to make sure that the facility is being repaired. The roof is nothing to write home about. But we are fixing it now.”
He also said the facility, which was commissioned in 2009, had served Ido-Osun and neighbouring communities, adding that its revival would significantly improve healthcare delivery.
“If you look around, you will see that this is the only government health facility that is in this place, the community have been enjoying this place even adjourning communities such as Aduramigba, Igigogoro, Ofatedo, among other have been enjoying this facility. So its revival will add to the quality health delivery,” Oba Jokotola said.
He appealed to the government to support the community’s efforts to restore the facility.
“We still want to urge the government to help us look into this place.”
Also speaking during the visit, the community leader, Adewole Musa Alade said the facility has been operating since 2014 but health workers were later withdrawn after the ceiling deteriorated.
“When the ceiling caved in, the workers were afraid of it falling on them and they were removed. Since then now, we have been writing series of letters for rehabilitation.”
Alade said the community had made several attempts to secure assistance for the rehabilitation but had been unable to raise the required contribution.
“They were ready to help us then, but there are certain amounts to contributed by the community before we could be given their own quota.”
He said the recent vandalisation of the facility had made the community’s efforts more urgent as the roofing work is ongoing.
“That’s why we are rushing to do this one (roofing) now, to make it habitable enough so that we could pack all our loads somewhere. We are ready to complete it, even after this one, we are still yearning to do the rest and put it in good shape.”
The community leader appealed to the government to do more to ensure the facility becomes functional, stressing the importance of healthcare to the people.
“The state are trying their best. We are still appealing to do more because the people here, we are around eight thousand or ten thousand here. Crossing to the town to receive treatment, we don’t want it.”