Oyo Government Set To Strengthen 349 Primary Healthcare Facilities, Bridge 70% Manpower Gap
The Oyo State Government is set to intensify efforts to strengthen primary healthcare facilities across the state and bridge the existing 70 per cent human resources gap in the sector.
The Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Muideen Babatunde Olatunji, disclosed this during an interview with newsmen in Ibadan.
Olatunji, while highlighting the progress and challenges facing primary healthcare delivery in the state, said a human resources gap analysis carried out by the board showed that only about 30 per cent of the manpower required had so far been met.
According to him, the remaining 70 per cent gap represents one of the major areas requiring continued attention as the government works to improve healthcare delivery across the state.
“In the area of Human Resources for Health, we had a gap analysis and we know what we actually need, and we said we are able to fulfil 30 per cent of that need. That means 70 per cent needs to be met. That is one of the things that we actually need to do,” he said.
Olatunji also disclosed that the state has more than 700 primary healthcare facilities, noting that the government had so far reinvigorated and strengthened 351 of the facilities.
He said several other facilities still required attention, stressing that the improvement of the primary healthcare system remained an ongoing process.
“We have more than 700 facilities in our state. We’ve been able to reinvigorate, strengthen about 351 now. That means almost 349 or so is still there, needs attention,” he said.
The Executive Secretary said the government’s efforts were being driven by the need to ensure that the state continued to make progress in the provision of healthcare services, adding that existing achievements should not be regarded as the end of the journey.
He stressed that government and other stakeholders must continually identify areas requiring improvement instead of becoming complacent with what had already been achieved.
“The day you are comfortable or you are in your comfort zone, that is the day you stop making progress,” Olatunji said.
He explained that human needs would always increase while available resources remained limited, making it necessary for governments and institutions to continually expand their capacity to meet emerging needs.
“No matter what you have, it says that human needs is unlimited and the resources to meet those needs are limited. So man will always be in need of new space, new empire to be conquered,” he said.
Olatunji described the development of primary healthcare in Oyo State as a work in progress, noting that the government was focused on moving beyond its present level of achievement.
He said the progress recorded so far demonstrated that the state was no longer where it was previously, while stressing that the objective was to ensure further improvement in the years ahead.
“So you can see, it’s a work in progress. But the point is that we are not where we were yesterday and we don’t intend to be here where we are today, tomorrow. It means we can always be forward looking,” he said.
Oyo Government Set To Strengthen 349 Primary Healthcare Facilities, Bridge 70% Manpower Gap
Byadmin
Sep 28, 2026