The management of the University College Hospital (UCH) has refuted the claim that it received N118 million from the Oyo state government. On Tuesd
The management of the University College Hospital (UCH) has refuted the claim that it received N118 million from the Oyo state government.
On Tuesday, Akinola Ojo, the commissioner for finance, had said that the state gave funds to UCH as part of efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Toye Akinrinlola, UCH public relations officer, said apart from 250 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE), the hospital did not receive any money from the state government.
“The attention of the management of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan has been drawn to the content of a press release from the Oyo State Government that the sum of N118 million was given to the hospital to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” it read.
“The press release quoted the Oyo State Commissioner of Finance, Mr. Akinola Ojo as saying the said amount was released to UCH. We contacted some officials of Oyo State for a clarification on this, but it seems there is a misunderstanding in the difference between the College of Medicine of the University of Ibadan and the University College Hospital Ibadan.
“It therefore behoves the Management of the UCH to put the record straight. We hereby state emphatically that the University College Hospital, Ibadan did not and has not received any monetary donation from the Oyo State Government.”
According to Akinrinola, since the UCH chief medical director is a member of the Oyo state COVID-19 task force, he would know if any money was given to UCH outside the 250 pieces of the PPE given to the hospital.
He said all services to the state by UCH have been strictly humanitarian, with no financial benefits attached.
“I therefore wish to say once again that the UCH is not in receipt of any N118m as claimed by the Oyo State Government.”
While the Oyo state government says it is standing by its position it gave a breakdown of the figure via Taiwo Adisa, chief press secretary to the governor, gave a breakdown of the figure in a statement issued on Wednesday, adding that the commissioner for finance confirmed that it was expended in meeting the varied needs of the Department of Virology, College of Medicine and the University College Hospital.
“In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state provided medical supplies to the UCH, including 500 each of googles, protective gowns and face shields; 250 each of full protective, head covers & shoe covers; 200 hand gloves to UCH, amounting to N2 million.
“The state government has also provided a revolving fund to the tune of N5 million to the UCH for treatment of residents of Oyo State who tested positive to COVID-19. The amount is being topped each time the hospital spends up to N4 million on the patients.
“Besides, the Commissioner revealed that based on a shopping list specifically prepared and presented to the state government by the Chief Medical Director of the UCH, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, the state government has procured medical supplies to the tune of N25 million for delivery to the Hospital. That the supplier is just about to deliver the said items is an evidence of the protocols related to movement schedules of all items within the environment of a global pandemic.
“These supplies included goggles, PPE gowns, boots and so on [and] in all, the total amount spent in directly supporting the UCH (based on the artificial distinction) so far stood at N32 million, while the balance of N86 million constituted what has been spent to support the Department of Virology, which is the direct partner with the state on the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Some of the supports provided to the Virology Department, which also handles the Clinical Services of the UCH, includes purchase of PPEs, SARSCoV-2 testing kits, extraction kits for COVID-19, wet lease of the testing machine for COVID-19, medical supplies and consumables as well as payment of allowances for the staff of the Virology Department.
“In order to clarify the referenced N118 million support, it is important to first of all state that we were made aware of a distinction between the University College Hospital (UCH) and the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan. Oyo State Government has provided support to both institutions during this COVID-19 pandemic.”
