Obaseki Receives Accreditation Team for Edo College of Health Sciences

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, yesterday received the accreditation team for the State College of Health Sciences and Technology, Benin City, ahead of the reopening of the institution which has been upgraded into a world-class facility to drive the development of manpower for the State’s health sector.

Receiving the team at the Government House, in Benin City, Obaseki said the COVID-19 outbreak pushed his administration’s intervention in the healthcare sector, leading to the total overhaul and holistic revamp of the healthcare system.

The accreditation team was led to the Government House by Consultant to the College, Dr. Esther Oshunluyi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, Prof. Tosan Erhabor, and Director, Education Health Records Officers Registration Board of Nigeria, Halima Ahmed.

 Obaseki said: “The shocker, for us, came during COVID-19 when I had to interact very closely with the health system and it showed that we have derailed in terms of understanding what the healthcare system entails and the kind of institutions and support required to build and sustain any health system.

“Our COVID response, mobilizing over 5,000 doctors and a larger number of other healthcare workers to support the response, showed that the healthcare system has broken from the top to the bottom.

“Healthcare is not about doctors or hospitals but a whole support system, middle management system and manpower and without this support, the healthcare system will not stand.”

He noted that the shortage of quality manpower was huge and the state was epicentre of migration.

“I am assuring you that as a government, we will finish this and invite you for reopening and you will be amazed with what you will see.

“As part of our reforms, the health Ministry has enumerated over 7,000 facilities and wants to create a linkage between the school and the healthcare market to help train and retrain the people they hire. This is what is done all over the world, the market is here,” he said.