The Oyo State Health Insurance Agency, (OYSHIA, has expressed its readiness to support and collaborate with the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan in the area of research.
OYSHIA Executive Secretary, Dr. Sola Akande, made this known on Monday, while receiving in audience a delegation from UCH’s Department of Health Policy and Management, led by its Head, Dr. David Adewole, at the state Secretariat, Ibadan.
Stressing the need to partner with the department to collaborate on publishing research papers in international journals, Akande added that it will put OYSHIA on the global pedestal.
Welcoming the delegation, Akande said, “Health and education are the pillars of human development, therefore, the idea of collaboration in this area is a very welcome development.”
Expressing the agency’s preparedness to partner with the department on development of its staff members, Dr Akande intimated the visiting team of some of the health insurance policies and activities of the agency that are of benefit to the residents of the state.
Dr. Akande advised the visiting team to also consider other innovative ways of tackling the issue of dilapidated structures of the institution, to which he promised the agency’s support.
Speaking earlier, the H.O.D, Dr. Adewole, said that the department is proud of the agency’s achievements in promoting state’s health insurance policies.
He commended the agency’s boss for his modest achievements in the state’s health insurance sub-sector, which he said aligns with the vision of UCH’s Department of Policy.
He continued, “We are proud of your agency. OYSHIA is performing and oftentimes we listen to the radio about how you break down the importance of health insurance to a simpler form.”
The HOD however expressed concern over the fate of those currently undergoing programmes in department at the UCH, as most of the structures are currently dilapidated.
Dr. Adewole therefore opined that the department and the agency must collaborate on research and writing of academic papers, even as he appealed to the agency to equip the learning facility of the institution.
The team therefore appealed to the OYSHIA to consider partnership with the department, as it has a multiplier effect on the state and the health sector.
