The history and the development of Environmental Health are unique and complex in every country of the world. It is not possible to assign a specific date from which problems relating to environment started. However, the need to control and prevent the environment in the interest of public health has been evolving for long time.

In OAUTHC, Ile-Ife, the department of Environmental Health has been in existence almost close to the establishment of the Institution precisely in the year 1977.

Environmental Health Department is one of the clinical services departments in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife under supervision of the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee. The department provides preventive, public and environmental health control services that aimed at ensuring the prevention of nosocomial infections and promotion of healthy and safe environment. This is to enhance work efficiency and quick recovery of patients in the hospital.

The department has numbers of affiliations and collaborative efforts with other departments/committee such as Management standing committees in the institution like Hospital Hygiene Committee, Infectious Control Committee, Community Health, Nursing department, Security Unit, Civil and Maintenance department etc.

This department operates and implements Environmental Health Policies in all units of the Hospital:

1. Ife Hospital Unit (IHU)
2. Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa (WGH)
3. Urban Comprehensive Health Centre, Eleyele (UCHC)
4. Rural Comprehensive Health Centre, Imesi – Ile (RCHC)
5. Multi-Purpose Health Centre, Ilesa (MHC).

However, in a bid to ensure comprehensive and efficient service delivery in the Hospital, the department has six operational units in core areas of Environmental Health services comprising of the following:

• Pest and Vector control unit
  Deals with decontamination, disinfection, disinfestation, deratization and fumigation of premises with the aim of controlling pests and vermins of public health importance.
• Waste Management Unit
  This unit is involved in the collection, storage, transportation, treatment and safe disposal of Hospital wastes. It also ensures safe burial of unclaimed corpse, persons died of highly infectious diseases and maintenance and supervision of institution’s cemetery.
• Environmental Monitoring and Hospital Inspection Unit.
  Monitor ambient air and water temperature, water and soil acidity; air, water and waste water bacteriological examination and taking of environmental swab to determine the virulence of micro-organisms in the ward. Daily inspection of premises with the aim of detecting and abating nuisances.
• Water Sanitation and Food Hygiene Control Unit
  Periodic chlorination of well water, channelization of water ways and disinfection waste water in order to reduce bacteriological loads of waste water being discharge into the nearby stream. Training and control of food vendors in the institution.
• Horticulture and Lawns Maintenance Unit
  Planting of ornamental flowers and shrubs in the hospital provide psychological healing to patients which is one of the services being rendered in the hospital apart from lawn maintenance and cutting down of overgrown weeds.
• Environmental Health Training and Research Unit.
  This unit participates in the practical training of Community Health Resident Doctors in OAUTHC and Environmental Health students from Colleges of Health Technologies in the South Western States of Nigeria.

The office operates between the hours of 7:00am to 6:00pm on daily basis and 7:00am to 4:00pm on weekends including public holidays and as service needed.

To create an excellent environmentally friendly hospital that promotes good health.

To Protect, Promote, and Maintain Healthy Environment that will Facilitate Patient’s Quick Recovery and Providing Enabling Environment for Hospital Community.

1. To ensure that the Hospital Environment is clean and free from pathogenic organisms at all time.
2. To prevent and control the spread of nosocomial infection and communicable diseases in the Hospital.
3. To prevent and control Environmental Health Hazards in the Hospital environment.

1. Mr. A.E. Adejuwon Deputy Director
2. Mr. O. Ogundele Senior Environmental Health Supt.
3. Mr. T.A. Ademola Senior Environmental Health Supt.
4. Mr. T.S. Famubode Senior Environmental Health Supt.
5. Mrs. F.C. Olawuni Senior Environmental Health Supt.
6. Mrs. M.T Adebambo Assistant Chief Executive Officer
7. Mrs. B. P. Eluyefa Senior Secretariat Assistant 1
8. Health Assistants
9. Health Attendants

The department is saddled with the responsibility to supervise the activities of the cleaning service providers in all the units of the Hospital. The under-listed are the cleaning service providers in the Hospital.

1. Messrs Ishola Awodire Nigeria Limited.
2. 2 Amoloja Nigeria Limited.
3. Taladon Nigeria Limited.
4. Odosco Nigeria Limited.
5. Poplat Nigeria Limited
6. Tire Ni Oluwa P & G Nigeria Limited
7. Abrem Resource Venture
8. Bright True Nig. Ltd