Hope is gradually returning for casual members of staff working across hospitals under the Ondo State Hospitals Management Board (HMB) as the Chairman, Hon. Dr. Victor Olusegun Ategbole, Bobagunwa of Oka-Akoko Kingdom, continues efforts to ensure their long-awaited consideration for permanent employment.

During a recent engagement with newsmen, Dr. Ategbole disclosed that a verification exercise for casual workers has commenced in some health facilities, with visits already conducted at General Hospitals in Iwaro-Oka and Ipe. The exercise, he explained, is aimed at authenticating the records of casual staff who have served the state health system for many years under challenging conditions.

According to him, many of these workers have remained dedicated to service for over a decade, receiving only stipends while hoping that one day they would be formally absorbed into the system as permanent staff. He described them as “long-serving and often forgotten contributors” to the healthcare delivery system in the state.

Dr. Ategbole further noted that the initiative builds on the foundation laid by the immediate past Chairman of the Board, Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti, now the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), who had earlier ensured that these workers were properly documented as part of preparations for possible appointment opportunities.

Continuing in the same spirit, Dr. Ategbole said the current Board has prioritized the process by securing approval for consequential vacancies that would pave the way for the potential conversion of qualified casual staff into permanent positions. He emphasized that the ongoing verification exercise is necessary to ensure the authenticity of the list and to prevent the inclusion of unverified names.

The Chairman also revealed that while he personally supervised the verification in some facilities, another committee led by Dr. Akeredolu O. N. has been mandated to complete the exercise across other hospitals under the Board.

Dr. Ategbole expressed optimism that the process would bring relief and renewed hope to many of the affected workers who have remained committed to serving the healthcare system despite years of uncertainty.

He commended the Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, for supporting the initiative and for demonstrating a commitment to addressing the concerns of long-serving casual workers in the state health sector.

According to him, the workers will always remain grateful to the Governor for remembering them after many years of neglect and for creating an opportunity that could finally transform their years of service into a more stable and rewarding career path within the state health system.