The Oyo State government says ongoing reforms and policies in the health sector are helping to reduce the impact of brain drain while improving service delivery.

The Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, made this known on Thursday during an inter-ministerial press conference organised by Governor Seyi Makinde’s media team.

Ms Ajetunmobi stated that the current administration had strengthened the sector by recruiting thousands of health professionals and enhancing their welfare packages to curb the exodus of medical personnel.

“The state government has been able to retain a good number of health professionals due to Governor Makinde’s foresight in improving the welfare packages for health workers.

“Various measures have also been implemented to make the sector more attractive to professionals,” she said.

She noted that at the onset of the administration, the number of health personnel had dropped to about 350 due to the “japa” syndrome and retirements.

“In response, the government launched a large-scale recruitment drive.

“In the primary healthcare sector alone, we recruited about 3,933 health professionals and ensured that each local government has at least one medical officer,” she stated.

She said efforts had led to measurable improvements in the quality of life for residents, including reductions in maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates.

“Other key achievements highlighted include enhanced service delivery, better training, improved referral systems across healthcare levels, and the integration of digital health systems.”

She further stated that 332 healthcare workers were recruited for secondary health facilities, internship quotas were increased, and several secondary and tertiary health facilities were renovated under the administration’s health reform plan.

Looking ahead, Ms Ajetunmobi revealed that the state was working to secure a €55 million grant from the French government to renovate more secondary health facilities.

She added that the government also planned to strengthen referral systems, expand digital health infrastructure, and boost access and equity in healthcare service delivery across Oyo State.

(NAN)