No fewer than 500 farmers and farm managers across Ekiti State have benefited from a free medical outreach organised by the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji as part of efforts to boost food production through improved healthcare delivery.
The outreach, facilitated by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Farm Settlement and Agriculture, Temitope Adewole, provided beneficiaries with free eye examinations and glasses, diabetes and hypertension screening, dental services, and essential medications.
Addressing the farmers during the exercise, Adewole said the initiative was designed to take Governor Oyebanji’s healthcare programmes directly to farmers who, due to their demanding schedules, may not have the opportunity to visit primary healthcare centres.
He explained that the governor’s commitment to achieving food surplus and increasing annual agricultural output could only be realised if farmers remain healthy and productive.
“I would like to start by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to our hardworking farmers in Ekiti. They have made us proud and have translated several of the Governor’s agricultural initiatives into tangible results,” he said.
Adewole noted that the state recorded a food surplus last year as a result of deliberate policies introduced by Governor Oyebanji to support farmers.
According to him, the government approved free clearing of one hectare of farmland for farmers, equivalent to 15 plots, with some beneficiaries receiving free clearing of up to 10 or 20 hectares.
He added that the administration also introduced a 50 per cent subsidy on agrochemicals and mechanisation.
“If mechanisation costs N100,000, the farmer pays only N50,000. Our farmers have taken full advantage of these initiatives, and the result is increased food production across the state,” he said.
Beyond agriculture, Adewole highlighted ongoing investments in the health sector under the Oyebanji administration. He disclosed that renovation of hospitals had commenced across the state, with 13 hospitals already completed and nine others currently undergoing renovation.
In the primary healthcare sector, he said 103 facilities across the 16 local government areas had been revitalised, while nearly 500,000 residents had accessed free healthcare services under the Ulera Insurance Scheme.
He also pointed to the installation of a state-of-the-art mammogram machine to enhance cancer screening services at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital.
He, however, observed that many farmers are often too engaged in farm activities to take advantage of these health interventions, hence the decision to bring medical services closer to them.
Some of the beneficiaries described the programme as timely and impactful, noting that it afforded them the opportunity to assess their health status and prevent ailments that could hinder their productivity on the farm.