Edo State-born billionaire and philanthropist, Dr. Leemon Ikpea, has donated a 62-bed ultramodern hospital to his Idumu-Iyase, Ewatto community of Esan South-East Local Government Area.
The hospital was commissioned on Monday by Governor Monday Okpebholo and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
Dr Leemon Ikpea and the 62-bed ultramodern hospital
The donor said the hospital was to cater for the healthcare delivery service of Ewatto people and its environs.
Dr. Ikpea, who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Agbonjagwe Leemon Ikpea Foundation (ALI), said the 62-bed medical centre was equipped with modern facilities to provide healthcare services to the people, just as it would serve as an annex to the Irrua Specialist Hospital.
Noting that the facility belonged to the community and should be treated as a collective asset, Ikpea stressed that its protection would ensure its continued availability for healthcare delivery.
He, therefore appealed to the community leaders, residents and security agencies to take collective responsibility for protecting the hospital, its equipment and buildings against damage and vandalism.
Ikpea also called on residents to support the Edo State Government’s efforts to improve healthcare services across the state, expressing the hope that the medical centre would make a meaningful contribution to the wellbeing of the people.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Okpebholo commended Dr. Leemon Ikpea for establishing the 62-bed ultramodern medical centre in Ewatto, saying that the investment demonstrated the importance of private sector participation in strengthening healthcare delivery.
This was just as the governor restated that government alone could not meet the healthcare needs of the population, and urged other well-meaning individuals and organisations to emulate his example by investing in projects that would improve the welfare of residents.
Governor Okpebholo also charged the management of the medical centre and its healthcare professionals to maintain high standards of patient care.
He urged the people of Ewatto to protect the facility and make proper use of it, describing it as a valuable asset that should be preserved for the benefit of present and future generations.
Okpebholo recalled the steps taken by his administration to improve the healthcare delivery system in the state, saying his administration had recruited over 2,000 healthcare workers “to boost our workforce, and upgrade over 65 primary healthcare centres across the three senatorial districts of the state.
“Government alone cannot do it. We need private-sector partners and other individuals to complement public sector investments. Ikpea has set a good record, and I encourage other well-meaning individuals and organisations to emulate him.
“I charge the management of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital and the medical professionals who will serve here to uphold the highest standards of patient care.
“To the people of Ewatto, protect this facility and make good use of it. Let it become a place of hope and healing.”
The governor assured the people that his administration would mobilise the contractor’s back to site to complete the ongoing construction of the Ewatto-Udo Road “now that the dry season is fast approaching.”
Similarly, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social welfare, Professor Pate, commended Ikpea, the Agbonjagwe Leemon Ikpea Foundation and his family for investing in healthcare infrastructure to serve the people of Ewatto and surrounding communities.
He described the project as a source of pride for the community and Edo State as a whole, noting that access to quality healthcare was essential to the development of any society.
The minister added that a healthy population was better positioned to contribute to economic growth, adding that farmers, teachers, children and other members of society benefited when healthcare services were accessible and effective.
Pate therefore called on wealthy Nigerians and the private sector organisations to partner with the federal and state governments to expand healthcare infrastructure and improve service delivery across the country.
Such partnerships, the minister said, would complement public sector investments and support efforts to transform Nigeria’s healthcare system.
