COVID-19: We didn’t receive any money from Oyo, says UCH

The management of the University College Hospital (UCH) has refuted the claim that it received N118 million from the Oyo state government.

A statement issued on Tuesday quoted Akinola Ojo, the commissioner for finance, as saying the state gave the funds to UCH as part of efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

But a statement on Wednesday by Toye Akinrinlola, UCH public relations officer, said apart from 250 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE), the hospital did not receive any money from the state government.

“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,” it read.

“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 a 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.”

According to Akinrinola, since the UCH chief medical director is a member of the Oyo state COVID-19 task force, “he would know if any money was given to UCH outside the 250 pieces of the PPE given to the hospital”.

He said all services to the state by UCH have been strictly humanitarian, with no financial benefits attached.

“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, staff and students of the hospital,” he said.

“I therefore wish to say once again that the UCH is not in receipt of any N118m as claimed by the Oyo State Government.”