The University College Hospital, (UCH) Ibadan has refuted the statement that the sum of N118 million was given to it by the Oyo State government.
The Oyo State government was quoted to have said that the sum of N118 million was released to the UCH to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
But reacting to the statement through its Public Relations Officer, Toys Akinrinlola, the management of the hospital denied ever receiving such money from the state government.
Tribune Online reports that the statement said the Chief Medical Director of UCH, who is a member of the state COVID-19 task force, is not aware of the release of any amount to the purse of the hospital.
According to the statement;
“The attention of the management of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan has been drawn to the content of a press release from the Oyo State Government that the sum of N118 million was given to the hospital to fight against the COVID 19 pandemic.
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The press release quoted the Oyo State Commissioner of Finance, Mr Akinola Ojo as saying the said amount was released to UCH. We contacted some officials of Oyo State for clarification on this, but it seems there is a misunderstanding in the difference between the College of Medicine of the University of Ibadan and the University College Hospital Ibadan. It, therefore, behoves the Management of the UCH to put the record straight. We hereby state emphatically that the University College Hospital, Ibadan did not and has not received any monetary donation from the Oyo State Government.
The Chief Medical Director of the UCH is a member of the Oyo State COVID 19 task force. He should know if any money was given to UCH outside the 250 pieces of the PPE given to the hospital.
All other services rendered to Oyo State by UCH have been strictly humanitarian and no financial benefits have accrued to the hospital.
The UCH has been able to cope with the rigours of the pandemic through donations from the NCDC (an organ of the Federal Government), some corporate bodies, well-meaning Nigerians, Alumni associations of the hospital, staff and students of the hospital.
I, therefore, wish to say once again that the UCH is not in receipt of any N118m as claimed by the Oyo State Government.”
Signed:
Toye Akinrinlola
Public Relations Officer
For: the Chief Medical Director.
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