By Duchess Ifeoluwa 

Ondo State Government has unveiled a new healthcare reform agenda aimed at achieving greater medicines security, boosting local pharmaceutical production, improving diagnostic services and attracting increased private-sector investment into the state’s health sector.

The reforms, according to the government, are designed to reposition healthcare delivery in the state through stronger institutional partnerships, innovation, local production and improved management of medicines and health commodities.

The Senior Consultant on Pharmaceutical and Medical Investments to the Ondo State Government, Dr Samuel Adekola, disclosed this during a familiarisation visit to the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), Ondo.

Adekola disclosed that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had approved the establishment of the Ondo State Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Hub as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s pharmaceutical and healthcare ecosystem.

He said the proposed hub would play a strategic role in securing the state’s medicines supply chain, promoting local pharmaceutical manufacturing, stimulating biotechnology research and positioning Ondo as a regional centre for health innovation.

According to him, the initiative represents a deliberate policy intervention aimed not only at improving healthcare delivery but also at strengthening the state’s economic and health security.

Adekola also disclosed that the governor had approved the procurement of critical diagnostic equipment for healthcare facilities across the state.

He said the investment would expand diagnostic capacity, facilitate early detection of diseases and enable healthcare professionals to make more accurate and timely clinical decisions, thereby improving patient outcomes.

The consultant identified UNIMEDTH as a key institution in the implementation of the reforms, citing its clinical expertise, research capacity and operational experience.

He called for stronger collaboration between the teaching hospital and the Ondo State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency (OSDHCMA), describing the agency as a critical pillar of the state’s medicines security architecture.

According to Adekola, OSDHCMA has a central responsibility for ensuring the quality, affordability and accountability of medicines procurement and distribution across the state.

“For us to eliminate stockouts, prevent circulation of substandard medicines, and maintain a transparent supply chain, UNIMEDTH must be fully aligned with the Agency’s systems and processes,” he said.

He disclosed that the agency was being repositioned to become the State Drugs and Health Commodities Distribution Centre, with a broader mandate to provide distribution services to both public and private healthcare institutions within and outside Ondo State.

Adekola said comprehensive operational guidelines for the new structure were being developed, adding that the Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, had given his approval for relevant stakeholders, including UNIMEDTH, to participate in preparing the guidelines.

He said the proposed distribution framework was expected to improve coordination, transparency and efficiency in the movement of medicines and other health commodities.

The consultant also announced plans to introduce a new evidence-based clinical nutrition model for in-patient care across the state.

Under the proposed model, nutrition would be treated as an integral component of clinical care rather than merely a routine hospital service.

Adekola explained that patients would receive meals tailored to their medical conditions, metabolic requirements and individual recovery pathways.

He said the approach, based on global best practices, could improve treatment outcomes, reduce complications and shorten hospital stays.

UNIMEDTH, he added, was expected to take the lead in implementing and refining the model, with the state government partnering the West Africa Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) on the initiative.

Adekola further urged the management of UNIMEDTH to undertake a structured assessment of areas where Public-Private Partnership (PPP) investments could be deployed to improve services.

He identified diagnostic services, medical imaging, specialised clinics, digital health infrastructure and biomedical engineering as some of the areas that could benefit from private-sector participation.

He said the objective was to complement government investment with private capital, technical expertise and innovation while ensuring that such partnerships translated into improved healthcare services for residents.

Adekola said Governor Aiyedatiwa had consistently demonstrated the political will and strategic commitment required to strengthen the state’s healthcare system.

He described the reforms as the beginning of a new phase for the sector, characterised by strategic interventions, stronger partnerships and clearer performance expectations.

Responding, the Chief Medical Director of UNIMEDTH, Prof Michael Gbala, commended the state government for its efforts to improve the hospital and the wider healthcare system over the past three years.

Gbala said the transformation in the health sector was noticeable, particularly in the return and availability of medical professionals in healthcare facilities.

He, however, stressed the need for sustained improvement in the supply and management of medicines to ensure that patients could access essential and lifesaving drugs whenever required.

The UNIMEDTH chief executive called for health facilities to maintain adequate stocks of scarce but critical medicines, noting that some drugs might not be required frequently but could become indispensable during medical emergencies.

He specifically cited anti-venom as an example, stressing that health facilities must have the medicine readily available because a patient suffering a snake bite could not afford to wait while the drug was sourced.