By Chioma OBINNA
MANAGEMENT of children with cases of foreign body injuries has been stepped up at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH,  following the donation of Bronchoscopy equipment at the paediatric unit of the health facility. Bronchoscopy is a technique utilised to visualise the inside of the airways for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Also, a complete laundry unit is now available at the Massey Street Children Hospital, Lagos. The donations were made by Chairman, Daily-Need Group, Otunba Matthew Oyin Jolayemi, in commemoration of his 70th birthday.

• Otunba Mathew Oyin Jolayemi donated Bronchoscopy Paediatric sets to LASUTH to mark his 70th Birthday Anniversary. Px shows 2nd Left ; Mrs Abimbola Fashola,1st Lady Lagos State recieving a book from Otunba Mathew Oyin Jolayemi and his wife Racheal while the Permanent Secretary, Lagos Ministry of Health, Dr. Femi Olugbile left looks on at the occasion. Photo by Biodun Ogunleye.

Thoracic Cardiologist at the LASUTH, Dr. Bode Falashe observed that while at least 500 children die from foreign body injuries in the United States of America, there is no accurate data in Nigeria as only very few of the patients are seen in the hospital. Ten lives have already been saved since the donation of the equipment.

“When a child’s airway is blocked by foreign bodies, it is not easy to remove like in adults due the tiny size of the airway which may lead to complications and even death. Most times you find ear rings, fish bones etc; these things block the lungs making it impossible for the children to breathe well. But with this equipment in place, it is easy to remove such foreign bodies,” Falashe noted.

Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dame Abimbola Fashola who commissioned the equipment said: “In Lagos State, the dividend of public private partnership has continued to manifest in some key sectors. Today, the service delivery capacity of the bronchoscopy paediatric unit of LASUTH, particularly in early detection in children’s lung is being enhanced by this donation.

“So also the Massey Street Children’s hospital, the beneficiary of a complete laundry house equipped with giant industrial washing and drying machines for efficient and cost effective washing of bed linens used by the children.”

Otunba Mathew Jolayemi, the donor, said the gesture was his contribution to society after living,  working and prospering in Lagos since the age of 13.

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Femi Olugbile said the tool would optmise management of respiratory conditions for diagnostic and therapeutic objectives.  “The safety and effectiveness of this technology, a gold standard in paediatric intensive care practices, in trained hands with appropriate precautions will translate to the much desired expansion of critical care services at LASUTH.”