By Seun Oloketuyi
An 80-bed hospital in Pakiotan Community, Ogbomoso North Local Government Area of Oyo State, has remained unused three years after its completion, despite N420.08 million reportedly spent on its construction and equipment.
The facility, completed in 2023, was built to provide healthcare services to residents of the community. However, it has yet to become operational, raising concerns over the use of public funds and the delay in making the hospital available to those who need it.
Records published on the Federal Government’s Govspend platform show that the project received payments totalling N420.08 million in four tranches between 2021 and 2023 through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs). The payments covered construction and the supply of mattresses and theatre equipment.
Despite the investment, residents of Pakiotan reportedly continue to travel outside their community to access quality medical care. There are also concerns that furniture and equipment supplied to the hospital are being removed by hoodlums and unidentified persons.
The situation has drawn attention to healthcare delivery in Oyo State, where maternal and newborn deaths remain a public health concern.
According to figures from the Oyo State Ministry of Health, the state records about 370 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and 17 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births. The state government has set a target of reducing both figures by 50 per cent.
Improving the use of health facilities and increasing the number of births attended by skilled health workers are among the state’s stated health priorities. The continued non-use of the Pakiotan hospital has therefore raised questions about efforts to expand access to medical services, particularly for pregnant women and newborns.
Calls are growing for Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, the Oyo State Government and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, led by Executive Director Dr Muyi Aina, to explain why the hospital has not begun operations.
Key concerns include who is responsible for managing the facility, why it has remained closed since its completion, when it will be staffed and commissioned, and what steps are being taken to protect the premises and account for any missing equipment.
As of the information available for this report, no explanation has been provided for the delay in putting the facility to use.
For residents of Pakiotan, the hospital’s continued closure means a healthcare resource built for their benefit remains out of reach. With millions of naira already committed to the project, questions persist over when the facility will begin providing the services for which it was constructed.
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