The Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex is one of first generation of Teaching Hospitals established by the Federal Government to providequalitative health care delivery to its people.

In 1967, the defunct Western State Government of Nigeria resolved to establish a medical school in its state university at Ile-Ife (which was then five (5) years old to provide manpower to tackle the health problem of the state. After a period of careful planning Faculty of Health Science was created in the then University of Ife (now OAU) on 8^th May, 1972.

On the 1st of July, 1975, the defunct Western State Government established the State Health Council - a development in Nigeria. Health Management system - and created Ife/Ijesa Zone Health Board.

The Ife University Teaching Hospitals Complex (Now Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex) is unique in character in that it was founded on what is generally referred to as the Ife Philosophy a guiding principle.

The philosophy focuses on an integrated healthcare delivery system approach with emphasis on comprehensive healthcare service based on a pyramidal structure comprising primary care at the base, and secondary and tertiary services at hospital settings, designed to secure improvement in the physical, mental and socio-economic well being of Nigerians through preventive, promotive, diagnostic, restorative and rehabilitative services. The philosophy allows for a unique experiment in health care delivery and health professional training in Nigeria.

Primary healthcare is provided to the community in its three health centers-two urban and one rural in its catchments areas at Ife, Ilesa and Imesi –Ile respectively. Secondary and tertiary level cares are provided at its three major hospital facilities, in Wesley Guild Hospital Unit Ilesa, Ife State Hospital unit Ile ife and Dental Hospital located at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. By its recognition and establishment of Primary Health Care as an integral part of the country’s health care as close as possible to the people.

The institution was ahead of the WHO in its Alma Ata Declaration of 1978 that primary health care is the key to attaining Health for all by the year 2000 and beyond. The Ife philosophy has, thus, necessitated the Ife University Teaching Hospital Complex (now Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex) to be a multi-campus.

The initial corporate name of the Institution as Ife University Teaching Hospitals Complex was changed to Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex in 1987. in honour of the late distinguished; elderly stateman Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who died that year.

The cardinal objective of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex have remained essentially.

1. To provide effective quality healthcare delivery to all categories of health care consumers most efficiently.
2. To train/educate different cadres of health care professional / providers for the Nigeria Nation in particular and the world in general
3. To carry out medical / health system research for the advancement of health system knowledge for the overall purpose of raising health status of Nigeria and indeed world citizens
4. To participate in the community health promotion to secure improvement in physical, mental and well being of the people.
5. To reduce the urban- pull syndrome among health professionals/ providers by training them in rural setting.

While the Teaching Hospitals Complex, as a dynamic institution, had undergone various changes in its government, administration, management, physical resources and services load during its 25 years of existence, its founding philosophy to concept of provision of comprehensive health care based on integrated, primary, secondary and tertiary health care delivery has remained constant.

Currently, it provides these services through six health care unit as given below:

1. Ife Hospital Unit, Ile-Ife.                                                                547 Bed Complement
2. Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa.                                                        235 Bed Complement
3. Dental Center, Ile-Ife.                                                                     37 Dental Chairs
4. Urban Comprehensive Health Centre Eleyele, Ile-Ife.                    14 Bed Complement
5. Rural Comprehensive health Centre, Imesi-Ile.                                6 Bed Complement
6. Multipurpose Maternal and Child Health Centre, Ilesa.                    3 Bed Complement

By virtue of its location and the scarcity of health care facilities in neighbouring areas, the catchment area of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex is extremely large, including the whole of Osun Ekiti and Ondo State and some parts of Oyo, Kwara, Kogi, Lagos and Edo state. While the primary base is the Ife/Ijesa Senatorial District, the institution provides tertiary, secondary and primary health care services to the area mentioned above.