Commissioner for Health Ekiti State, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, has urged residents in rural communities to prioritise the use of government-owned healthcare facilities for their medical needs. This appeal was made during a strategic one-day engagement meeting held in Ado Ekiti with local government chairmen, traditional rulers, and religious leaders.
Dr. Filani commended the dedication of stakeholders to healthcare delivery and called for increased mobilisation of residents to sustain improvements recorded across the health sector. He highlighted the state’s notable progress in health indicators, including service utilisation and patient outcomes, stressing the need to build on these successes.
“Ekiti has witnessed significant improvement in health outcomes, but we must deepen our efforts to maintain and expand on these gains,” he said.
The meeting aimed to strengthen collaboration and promote health-seeking behaviour among grassroots residents, ensuring greater access to quality care.
Adding his voice, the World Health Organization (WHO) State Coordinator, Akeem Busari, applauded the state government’s proactive health interventions. He noted that Ekiti State achieved a 100% success rate in the recent National Immunisation Plus Days campaign, reflecting strong public health engagement.
Busari further stated that the engagement provided a vital platform to address community-level barriers affecting primary healthcare utilisation, including immunisation coverage, maternal and child health services, and disease surveillance.
Traditional leader, Oba Adewole Adesoji, the Onisin of Isinbode Ekiti, expressed confidence in the stakeholder collaboration, saying it would foster shared commitment towards achieving Universal Health Coverage in the state.
Meanwhile, Dr. Funke Ogunbunmi, Chairman of the Ekiti State Primary Health Care Development Agency, and the Executive Secretary, Dr. Rasheed Adepoju, appreciated the continuous support of rural communities leaders. They encouraged all stakeholders to remain proactive in improving healthcare access and delivery across every part of the state.
