Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropath Folorunsho Alakija has delivered a complete hospital to a public university in the state of Osun, a gesture that can be regarded as the most private contribution towards public health care in the country over the last few years.
Mrs. Alakija, known widely as Africa’s richest woman, has erected this hospital at her personal cost and has since inaugurated it to be used by students, health practitioners, and the public. The health institution has been put in place to promote health in the university system and to provide health services to the residents of this state.
The new hospital that has been donated has the capacity to admit 250 patients and has 20 clinical and five other departments that are not clinical in nature. The hospital has a Community Health Unit, provides maternity and neonatal health, and has research and diagnostic laboratories.
It also has four modern operating theaters and modern diagnostic imaging facilities. These are the CT scan and MRI machines, ultrasound and X-ray departments, as well as radiotherapy rooms. This puts the hospital among the best-equipped public health facilities. It also has intensive care units of 16 beds, ophthalmology department, and a modern mortuary.
Apart from the healthcare treatment, the facility is designed to facilitate research and innovations in the healthcare sector. Special facilities and equipment have also been put in place to enhance research, diagnosis, and learning, especially among medical students and professionals who affiliate with the university.
The donation aligns with the zeal that Mrs. Alakija has always demonstrated in giving back to the community in the fields of health, education, and social development. The donation comes at the right time since the general health sector in Nigeria has been stretched due to lack of funds, congestion, and the absence of specialist healthcare.
In choosing to invest in a public university hospital as opposed to a public or private hospital, the philanthropist has provided an assurance that those who will benefit from this service will be a wide cross-section of the public including those from lower-income communities who rely almost entirely on public health care.
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The project has been observed to symbolize a great opportunity for the use of private resources to improve national development objectives. For Osun State and its environs, it is expected to alleviate congestion as well as improve the level of service delivery within existing health facilities. With the hospital now set to begin full-scale functioning, the facility not only presents the African continent with a valuable medical service, but it is also an example of the role each individual can play in enhancing African public institutions.
