By Chioma Obinna
LAGOS — The Lagos  State Government has completed its Cardiac and Renal Centre at the Gbagada General Hospital annex of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH. The centre is expected to cater for Nigerians seeking cardiac treatments abroad.

State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, also said all health projects, including the 80-bed Trauma and Burns Centre, and the Combined Clinics and Wards at the Gbagada General Hospital, would be ready before the end of the year.

Addressing newsmen  shortly after an inspection tour of on-going health  projects, Idris said the tour was informed by the need to ascertain the level of work done and the challenges with a view to addressing them and ensuring that the projects were completed within the time frame.

He said: “The aim of the present administration is to complete all projects that we started and that is the reason we want to assess how far the contractors have gone and what problems they have with a view to ensuring that the projects are completed on time.”

Idris, who said he was impressed with the level of work at the various projects visited, explained that the state-of-the-art cardiac and renal centre was established to take care of heart and kidney diseases.

He said the facility will take care of cases of  renal transplant, cardiac catheterization, manage heart attacks and blockage of the heart.

He said, “The Cardiac and Renal Centre will handle  renal transplant, cardiac catheterization and manage heart attacks and blockage of the heart apart from other diagnosis facilities, which  would be done.

He noted that these were services people spend so much money to access in other countries. “We want to also create an environment where our brothers in diaspora can come back to provide services and manpower needed,” he added.
Speaking on the Trauma  and Burns Centre, Idris said the facility will serve as a referral centre for trauma and burn cases with its own theatre, diagnosis facilities, intensive care unit, X-ray unit and wards.

According to him, the Centre will commence operation in another two months. He reiterated government’s commitment towards the completion of on-going health infrastructural projects, adding that this was in line with the health sector reform embarked upon by the government.