Posted on: Thu 13-02-2025

BENIN CITY – THE Minister of State for Health, Dr. Sadiq Salako on Tuesday embarked on a facility of the newly established National Othodpaedic Hospital in Ogheghe, Ikpoba-Okha local government Area in Benin City, Edo State where he urged staff of the hospital to remain in the hospital where they have been employed with the view of contributing their quota to the growth of the country rather than using it to find their way out of the country.

Salako said that the country belonged to them and that it is their duty to join hands to make it work and not by migrating to other countries.

The Minister said “For those of us who are newly employed, please let us remain committed to our country. Let us display patriotism to the country. Let us not because of economic crises alone abandon our country, and japa, as they say.

“I want to come back and see that all the people that are newly employed remain in the service of this hospital serving our country because nobody is going to come to build this country for us.

“If we don’t do it ourselves, when we go, we still come back and meet it the way we have left it. So I want to encourage all of you to remain committed, to remain patriotic and serve Nigeria intelligently.

“The reform that Mr. President is doing is a reform for the betterment of our country. I can assure you that we are turning the corner and things are getting better. Very soon, things will get much, much and much better”, Dr. Salako said .

“Not only are we citing this national hospital in the South-South here in Benin, before coming here, I was at the National Obstetrics Fistula Centre.”

Earlier, the Medical Director (MD) of the hospital, Dr. Philip Ugbodaga, thanked President Tinubu’s efforts at assuring that health care remains a priority of his administration adding that no nation can develop without investment in the health and education of its people.

Dr. Ugbodaga said since the infrastructure came on board, they have done everything to ensure that the target of meeting the healthcare needs of Nigerians take the centre stage and that the few things left to be put in place included electrical fittings and the connection to the national grid as well as a few structural things and painting.

He said “It is our plea, our minister, that with your full support, we are highly and very hopeful that very soon, those few structural things that needed to be done are completed in this hospital so that full clinical services will commence”.

On the part the Enogie (Duke) of the community, HRH Michael Ogbonmwan, while commending the federal government for siting the hospital in his community, offered his personal land as parking lot for the hospital and that the next compound has been donated to be the permanent site for the hospital.

SOURCE: VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

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