Abandoned SDG Hospital in Ipetumodu Raises Fresh Concerns Over Healthcare Infrastructure in Osun

 

Fresh concerns have emerged over the alleged neglect of critical healthcare infrastructure in Osun State following reports that the 80-bed Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Hospital in Ipetumodu, located in Ife North Local Government Area, has remained unused nearly three years after it was commissioned and handed over to the state government.

The multi-million-naira facility was facilitated during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and commissioned in May 2023 towards the end of the federal government’s tenure. It was designed to strengthen healthcare delivery within the Ipetumodu axis and ease pressure on the existing general hospital serving the area.

However, reports indicate that the hospital has yet to commence full operations since it was handed over to the Osun State Government under Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Residents and stakeholders say the expansive facility, which was expected to complement the overstretched Ipetumodu General Hospital, has remained largely inactive. Observers claim that parts of the hospital premises are now overgrown with weeds, while some sections of the infrastructure are reportedly beginning to deteriorate due to prolonged inactivity. The only visible presence at the complex, according to sources, is a security guard stationed at the gate.

Concerns over the situation have also been linked to what critics describe as a broader pattern affecting federally facilitated projects in the state.

A similar controversy recently trailed the Child and Mother Hospital located at Oke-Onitea in Osogbo. The modern healthcare facility, which was reportedly donated to the state government during the tenure of the All Progressives Congress-led federal administration, has been the subject of allegations regarding the removal of equipment from the hospital.

According to complaints by some citizens and health sector stakeholders, certain equipment from the facility was allegedly moved to support accreditation processes for postgraduate programmes at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital.

The development has sparked questions among residents, with some asking why equipment originally donated for a specialized maternal and child healthcare facility would be relocated for other institutional purposes instead of procuring new equipment.

The issue has further fueled debate about the state’s financial capacity, especially as the government has repeatedly highlighted increases in federal allocations and internally generated revenue in recent years.

Political observers have also speculated that the slow activation of some federally facilitated projects may be influenced by political considerations ahead of future elections. Some critics claim that leaving such projects unused could make it difficult for the ruling party at the federal level, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to showcase visible achievements in the state.

Despite these claims, the Osun State Government has yet to issue a detailed public response addressing the concerns surrounding the Ipetumodu SDG Hospital.

For residents of Ipetumodu and surrounding communities, the facility remains a symbol of unrealized expectations. Many believe that if fully operational, the hospital could significantly improve access to quality healthcare services, particularly for mothers, children, and rural populations in the area.

Source: Nathaniel Ogunsola