UCH denies receiving money from Oyo government on COVID-19 expense

The University College Hospital (UCH) has denied receiving money from the Oyo State Government in the battle against COVID-19 pandemic.

The management stated this in a statement by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the health institution, Mr. Toye Aderinlola, against the backdrop of the claim by the state government that it gave the hospital N118 million in the fight against COVID-19.

The state’s Commissioner for Finance, Akinola Ojo, was quoted by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Taiwo Adisa, as having said this yesterday while giving a breakdown of the monies received and expended on COVID-19.

The hospital said: “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 N118 million was given to the hospital to fight against the COVID 19 pandemic.

“The statement quoted the Oyo State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinola Ojo, as saying the said amount was released to UCH.

“We contacted some officials of Oyo State for a clarification on this, but it seems there is a misunderstanding in the difference between the College of Medicine of the University of Ibadan (UI) 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 hospital added that the Chief Medical Director of UCH is a member of the state’s COVID-19 task force and the CMD 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 pandemic through donations from the NCDC (an organ of the Federal Government), some corporate bodies, well-meaning Nigerians, alumni associations of the hospital, members of staff and students of the hospital. I, therefore, wish to say once again that the UCH is not in receipt of any N118 million as claimed by the Oyo State government”, the hospital spokesman added.