HEALTH IS WEALTH: THE POOR STATE OF THE HEALTH MINISTER’S TENURE.

By Bibisinuoluwa Agarah

Miss. Durojaye Folayomi, a student of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Team Projection’s health minister, began her manifesto with her qualifications informing Queenites of her vast knowledge in health and health education. She highlighted all her volunteering experiences in a handful of non-governmental organizations that focused on healthcare. With these, she pressed that her knowledge and experience qualified her for the position of health minister.

Miss. Durojaye’s manifesto had just one plan which came after she ceremoniously listed her constitutional duties as her aim, and she promised to implement this as soon as she assumed office. She promised a monthly nugget series that would provide basic education with a special focus on oral health, mental health, drug abuse, and menstrual hygiene.

Unfortunately, the ‘monthly’ health series had less than five publications in the entire session. The topics covered ranged from malaria to asthma. It is unfortunate that the health minister was unable to work this plan to letter, hence the absoluteness of the ‘general health education and information’ objective was ……

Miss. Durojaye also promised to provide a healthy environment and the maintenance of acceptable standards of hygiene within the hall. This is one of her constitutional duties, one that Miss. Durojaye defaulted in fulfilling. The tanks in Queen Elizabeth II Hall were washed just once in the entire session.  This is dissatisfactory considering that the health minister is responsible for the ‘maintenance of acceptable standards of hygiene’ within the hall. From her citation, Miss. Durojaye seemed to be someone interested in health and someone who cared about health care; this passion was not exactly felt throughout the eighteen months of her tenure. 

However, she made some commendable efforts; an example is the creation of the health committee which provided prompt response to Queenites on any reported case of emergency. Queenites also reported the constant availability of drugs for basic medical needs whenever they needed them. Miss. Durojaye stated in her manifesto that she intended to focus on general health education and it seems she dedicated more of the time she worked to this than ensuring a healthy and sanitary environment.