State Hospital Isara Remo; A Shadow of Itself

STATE HOSPITAL ISARA REMO - A SHADOW OF ITSELF

“Quality healthcare should be recognized as a right, not a privilege. Every man, woman and child in our country should be able to access the health care they need regardless of their income.”


It is on this note that I would like to call the attention of the Ogun State Government, through the House of
Assembly member representing Remo North State Constituency and the Executive Chairman Remo North Local Government, 

The Kabiyesi, Odemo of Isara, the Isara Development Council, The Isara Youth Council and all well-meaning and patriotic stakeholders and community leaders of repute to the collapse of effective functioning and the retrogressive situation of things at the State Hospital Isara Remo

People have lost confidence and trust in the services provided at the medical facility, they no longer bring patients to the hospital, and as we write, less than four doctors are operating at the State Hospital Isara Remo, there are no medical aid facilities, People are dying daily because they are being deprived of adequate healthcare, and a lot of medical malpractices ongoing need to be looked into. 

The ultimate thing the hospital does now is to issue referral letters to patients to go to OOUTH at Sagamu, Babcock at Ilishan and other private hospitals, in most cases, patients in critical conditions usually lose their lives before they get to these hospitals due to the distance 

X-RAY UNIT 

The State Hospital at Isara no longer undertakes surgeries nor renders normal medical services. And it's not everyone that can afford to pay for medical bills at private hospitals. This is why everyone relies on government hospitals for quality healthcare but sadly, the one that's supposed to serve the people of Isara and Remo North has failed the people and we don't know how long this is going to continue if we don't lend out our voices for support


It's not all death that we should always term as “Amuwa Olorun”. If most health cases were given genuine medical attention on a timely basis, some people would still be alive today


Our people are often reluctant to patronize the State Hospital at Isara Remo due to the way they operate at the Hospital. Our people now advise themselves not to use the hospital if they wish their loved ones alive. 


A family of a victim of circumstance at the hospital who talked about their experience at the hospital said when they brought patients into the facility, they were not bothered about whether it was critical or not, they abandoned the person and asked for some payment to be made after payments are made, they told them the doctor that would attend to them is not around, only for the doctor to show up and wrote a referral letter for the patients to be taken to OOUTH. They said they don't have the necessary facilities 


In different instances, before most patients got to Sagamu or Babcock at Ilishan, most of them were brought in dead! So sad! In a country where there is a government. 


Doctors and Officers in the hospital are always overwhelmed and overworked. I think that must have been the reason why people complained that they were harsh and not at patients' mercy, with no empathy whatsoever. 




Mortuary Section

The people of Isara Remo who are the major users of the medical facility have a lot to say about the hospital and their experiences so far, they are not happy about what the facility has now been degraded to

Although in my opinion, I feel the management and staff of the hospital can't be blamed, because the workload is much, when three doctors are doing the work that's meant for 10 doctors, it's apparent that the patients would be the ones to suffer for it through the kind of medical services and attention they get.


With available evidence so far to show for it, I am bold to say that, the Isara people are trying their best to support the government in putting the hospital into good shape, I know of many sons and daughters of Isara Remo who have donated medical aid equipment worth millions of naira and they are still not relenting in giving it their best because they share in the notion that quality healthcare services to the people are essential in the well-being of the people 


Many of our associations at home and in the diaspora have donated to this facility in no small measure, and countless philanthropic gestures have been extended to the hospital but unfortunately, our people are not enjoying it.


As big as the State Hospital Isara Remo is, we do not have up to four (4) Doctors operating at the facility, and nurses are not even up to 10, in a facility that is supposed to serve more than 6 towns and the students of The Gateway Polytechnic are also there to be considered as major beneficiaries




Laundry and Store

Considering the proximity of Isara, Ode Remo and Ipara to the Lagos Ibadan Expressway, it would interest us to know that the State Hospital at Isara is so useless that accident emergencies at the expressway are never attended to, instead, they won't even allow them to wait before they ask them to go to Sagamu or Babcock for treatment 


THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO GET INVOLVED

As proactive as the Ogun State Government of Prince Dapo Abiodun is, he has paid zero or little attention to the State Hospital Isara Remo Medical facility. Nothing new is happening at the facility courtesy of the State government in the past few years, the buildings are wearing out gradually, and laboratories are empty and seems the hospital has been abandoned by the State Government. 

The last time the hospital made the news was when Dr. Olaokun Soyinka was serving as the Commissioner for Health in Ogun State. 


When doctors are transferred from the hospital or they resign from their appointment as the case may be, there is no replacement, they won't post another doctor to replace those that left. 

There has been no extension of dividends to the hospital, the government is not looking at our side or should we say that some people are diverting the good gestures that are meant for the State Hospital Isara to somewhere else? 


To mention also as part of the good gestures the State Hospital has enjoyed from the people of Isara Remo, I am aware that a Doctor was supported financially by an eminent personality in Isara a few years ago for the Doctor to stay back in the hospital

Also, in his generosity and service to the community, Otunba Oladele Amoda once donated an Ambulance and an X-ray machine to the hospital just to improve the quality of healthcare for our people. 

Another question begging for answers is this, what's the condition of these medical aid facilities now? 

We have many of them like that who donated generously to the State Hospital but all these machines donated are not been enjoyed by our people, 

The Hospital still tells people that they do not have one thing or the other and this affects people in many ways.


As a government that prioritizes the welfare of the people, this is a call to action, the attention of the government is needed at the State Hospital Isara Remo. You are there to serve us better, the provision of adequate medical facilities is part of the reasons why you're there to govern us and make life easy for the people and it's going to be contained in your political scorecard. 

Quality healthcare for the people is one of the primary objectives of every government. 


If compassion is so good for us, why don’t we train our healthcare providers in compassion so that they can do what they’re supposed to do, which is to transform suffering?

I implore our amiable governor of Ogun State to please look into the services of the State Hospital Isara Remo and help us see how it can better serve the people than what we are experiencing now. 




TO THE MEMBER HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, REPRESENTING REMO NORTH

Hon. Dickson Kolawole Awolaja, as the legislator representing the Constituency where the State Hospital is situated, please we need to feel your voice at the State House on this issue of malpractice, replacement of doctors and nurses and the provision of necessary medical aid facilities for the benefit of the people of your Constituency. 

You're part of the Ogun State Government and you're our representative, we are not asking you to buy the medical facilities, but as a legislator, could you please make a voice to the Executive arms of the government, let them know what our people are going through back home and let's have the assurance that you're able to air our voice and represent us the best you can. 


It only takes the grace of God for emergency patients to make it alive to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital at Sagamu, or Babcock University at Ilishan, not even in the critical situation our roads are in. 




TO THE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF REMO NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Hon. Muyiwa Sodade, please sir the Primary Health Centres across all wards are also begging for attention, 

Please, under your leadership, it would do us a great favour if you could make it part of your agenda, most of the PHCs across the Local Government need to be looked into, at least if the State Hospital is a no-go area, the ones that are closer to the grassroots should be accessible. 




The truth is that most people prefer going to the Primary Health Centres instead of State Hospitals.




You're the closest to the grassroots and we are not expecting less from you. 

God will help you and your team to achieve it, sir. 




SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF ISARA REMO, WE NEED A VOICE BEFORE ITS TOO LATE 

It used to be a General Hospital for many years before it was upgraded to the State Hospital that we have today, great credit to the likes of Sir. Olaniwun Ajayi of blessed memory, Dr Olaokun Soyinka, Chief (Dr.) Kehinde Osinfade and other eminent people for their relentless efforts before the facility was upgraded to a State Hospital. 


As a community, we shouldn't allow these efforts to go in vain, we need to raise our voices and ask the government what we want to better our community and to serve the people better, we don't have to wait and allow the hospital to be downgraded into its formal General Hospital standard. 


We sincerely need a voice, the community leaders and stakeholders need to take quick action before it is too late! 


Isara as a community is fast growing in population, and the headquarters of the Remo North Local Government deserves a well-equipped State-of-the-art Medical facility, to ensure the well-being of the people! 


For he who has health has hope; and he who has hope, has everything, Truly affordable but high-quality healthcare tools and services are the only means by which quality healthcare can be provided to all. 


If we fold our arms now and say it doesn't concern us, how about our family back home, our elderly parents? 




We are optimistic and hopefully looking forward to a positive transformation at the State Hospital Isara Remo.




Isara Is our hometown, its also a great town! 

God bless Isara Remo




Saheed ‘Lanre Fidelity 

Isara Remo.