John Dike, Osogbo
The Management of the Osun State Primary Health Care Development Board (OSPHCDB) has dismissed as misleading a report titled “Health Crisis Looms in Osun State as 73% of PHCs Operate Without Adequate Staff,” published on December 28, 2025, by Business News Nigeria.
In a statement signed by the Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr. Shina Igbalaye, and made available to the media, the Board acknowledged that healthcare delivery remains a critical national concern but stressed the need to place issues in proper context and correct impressions that do not accurately reflect the realities on ground in Osun State.
Dr. Igbalaye noted that Osun State has, for the second consecutive time, emerged as the Overall Best Performing State in Primary Health Care in the South-West, an achievement that earned the state an internationally recognised performance award of USD 500,000.
The recognition followed independent assessments covering governance, service delivery, infrastructure, immunisation performance, and health outcomes.
“This achievement clearly underscores the steady progress recorded in Osun State’s primary healthcare system and sharply contradicts any portrayal of the sector as being on the brink of collapse,” the statement said.
While acknowledging that challenges exist—as they do across the country—the Board described the report’s narrative as exaggerated, misleading, and largely political, noting that it does not align with verified performance indicators or the commendations received from national and international health partners.
The statement further explained that manpower shortages in the health sector are a national challenge, driven largely by the ongoing migration of health professionals abroad, popularly known as the ‘Japa syndrome’. This trend, it noted, affects federal, state, and private health institutions across Nigeria and is not peculiar to Osun State.
Dr. Igbalaye emphasised that the manpower gap in Osun State is not as severe as portrayed, adding that ongoing recruitment, workforce redistribution, and capacity-building interventions are steadily addressing existing gaps.
He stated that the Osun State Government, through OSPHCDB, continues to invest in health workforce development, infrastructure upgrades, improved service delivery, and strengthened partnerships with development agencies. Several Primary Health Centres across the state, he said, have been renovated, equipped, and repositioned to deliver quality healthcare services, particularly at the grassroots.
The Board reaffirmed Osun State’s commitment to strengthening primary healthcare as the foundation of its health system, stressing that accurate reporting, balanced analysis, and constructive engagement are essential to sustaining public confidence and supporting ongoing reforms.
Dr. Igbalaye added that the Osun State Government welcomes objective discussions and remains open to collaboration with all stakeholders in the continuous effort to improve healthcare delivery for the people of the state.
