The Ondo State Government has procured medical equipment worth multi-million naira to enhance primary healthcare services in the state.

Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu, while inaugurating the equipment on Thursday in Akure,  said that there was need to improve health of people and provide the enabling environment with necessary working tools for health workers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items include: 18 pieces of Microscopes, 18 pieces of bench centrifuge, 18 pieces of improved counting chambers and 18 pieces of micro-haematocentrifuge.

Others were: micro-haematocrit reader (18 pieces), glucometers and strips (36 pieces), widal test kits (18 pieces), oxygen concentrators with in-built inverters (18 pieces), oxygen face masks (18 pieces) and some laboratory reagents.

Akeredolu decried the non-availability of basic medical and laboratory equipment that could tackle diseases, particularly among pregnant women and children under five, hence, the need for the procurement.

The governor said that the equipment would address the increased case management of common causes of childhood deaths by the health workers.

He said that the state government procured the medical equipment to enhance healthcare services in the state health facilities.

According to him, the equipment shows that the state government is on a course to improving the health and wellbeing of the state residents.

He added that the procured oxygen concentrators had in-built UPS that would prolonged their usage to deliver oxygen to people in need.

Akeredolu said he was optimistic that the equipment would be promptly distributed and installed in the facilities for which they were meant for.

He said that requisite training would be organised for relevant health workers who would handle the equipment.

In his remarks, Dr Wahab Adegbenro, the state Commissioner for Health, said that the procurement was to add value to humanity by making life better for every citizen through the Akeredolu-led administration.

Adegbenro said that the understanding of the Akeredolu-led administration on the primary healthcare at the grassroots and to the common man necessitated its intense commitment.

According to him, the commitment is geared toward significant improvement of infrastructure condition of the primary healthcare system.

The commissioner added that objective of the administration was to enrich the quality of healthcare available to the people of the state.

Adegbenro said that all the yearning health commitment could not be achieved, hence, the need to provide the medical and laboratory equipment.

“It is for this reason and many more that the state government resolved to heavily invest in equipment upgrade of primary healthcare.

“Amidst tight financial inflow of government, it can still afford this gesture for rebirth of primary healthcare in Ondo State.

“This equipment, no doubt, will usher in a disease-free Ondo State to the delight of all,” he said.(NAN)