Ogun State House of Assembly has challenged the managements of the State Ministry of Health and Hospital Management Board led by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker to accord high priority to the purchase of more hospital equipment for all health facilities in the State during the next fiscal year, so as to enhance health care delivery to the people.

The Assembly through the members of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, led by Hon. Musefiu Lamidi, threw the challenge, while playing host to the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Coker during the ongoing budget defence session held at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

The Committee Chairman together with his co-lawmakers, enjoined the Ministry to do more at equipping the various health facilities in the State to further deliver on the qualitative health programmes of government in the State, calling for immediate purchase of MRI machine for use at the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.

In her presentation, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Coker explained that the purchase of MRI machine for the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital was already receiving attention of government, stating that the Ministry proposed a total of N15.591bn as its total expenditure for the next financial year.

Giving a breakdown of the budget proposal, the Commissioner said that capital expenditure for next year would gulp N11.785bn, while personnel cost would take N2.094bn, just as N1.712bn was earmarked for overhead. She also defended the budget estimates for the State Primary Health Development Board.

Taking turn to defend the budget estimates for the State Hospital Management Board, the Permanent Secretary in charge of the Board, Dr. (Mrs.) Olayinka Elemide stated that the next fiscal year would see to the rehabiltation of existing hospitals across the senatorial districts, including the procurement of modern equipment, hence, the sum of N24.182bn was being proposed as total expenditure for next year.

Giving the breakdown of the budget proposal, Dr. Elemide said N17.231bn would go for capital expenditure, while N4.743bn would be expended on personnel, with N2.208bn being proposed for overhead.

On the part of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, the Chief Medical Director, Dr. ( Mrs.) Oluwabunmi Fatungase said the focus of the budget for the next fiscal year was to amongst others construct, equip, maintain and operate various clinics, outpatient departments, laboratories, research or experimental stations, so as to provide facilities for diagnostic, curative, preventive and rehabilitative services in medical treatment.

To the end, the CMD proposed a sum of N29.663bn as the total expenditure for the next fiscal year.

Giving the breakdown of the budget estimates, Dr. Fatungase said N22.668bn was set aside for capital expenditure, while N6.995bn would go for recurrent expenditure, comprising of N4.9bn for personnel and N2bn for overhead.

Other agencies that defended their 2025 budget proposals before the State lawmakers including the State hospitals Ijaiye Abeokuta, Ilaro, Ota, Ijebu-Ode Isara and Ifo, as well as the State Alternative Medicine Board and the State Health Insurance Board.

Others included State Commissioner for Forestry, Engr. Oludotun Taiwo, his Sports Development counterpart. Hon. Wasiu Isiaka, State Auditor General, Lateef Balogun and his Local Government counterpart.