By Chioma Obinna

Medical services at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, have received a boost with the commissioning of new sets of Crystal Optics Centre, Stroke Centre; Modular Theatre; Blood Donor Clinic; and the School of Biomedical Engineering training centre.

Commissioning the projects, the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole said the new facilities would help drive excellence in preventive care as well as ensures quality healthcare for all Nigerians.

COMMISSIONING: From left – GM, GE Healthcare, West & Central Africa, Eyong Ebai; Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole; Director, National Board of Technical Education (NBTE), Mrs Helen Oduntan; Education Leader, GE Healthcare, W/Central Africa, GE Foundation, Lilian Okoye; Technical Partner, Engineering World Health, Prof Carmen Walker, and CMD, LUTH, Prof Chris Bode, during the commissioning of the LUTH School of Biomedical Engineering in Lagos, last week. Pix by Akeem Salau.

Adewole who soike on the importance of the newly opened Centres,said the  availability of such services would reduce medical tourism.  The Crystal Optics centre which cost about N230 million will focus strictly on eye care.

The Minister further charged management of the stroke centre to  resolve all diagnosis within 24 hours. “You must resolve diagnosis fast for treatment to start. Treat patients even when they do not have money. There is no policy that you should not treat patients because they do not have money.”

At the commissioning of the Blood Donation Clinic, Adewole cautioned that commercial donors must not be entertained at the centre.

Further, Adewole stressed the importance of Biomedical Engineering to the development of Nigeria’s health sector and expressed belief that the school would contribute significantly to the delivery of quality healthcare to Nigerians.

He said government was committed to replicating the Biomedical Engineering Training programme in other Federal Schools of Biomedical Engineering across Nigeria. The Biomedical Equipment Technician Training (BMET) project in Nigeria will address a major need for locally qualified medical technicians to repair and service biomedical equipment.

The School will train and build a sustainable pipeline of skilled biomedical engineers for the country.

The Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, said the centres are critical areas of medicine that would add value and save more lives.

“Often they are needed to bridge traditional engineering skills with medical applications, working hand-in-hand with health-care professionals including physicians, nurses, therapists, and technicians to solve a wide variety of problems. In ensuring that these engineers deliver efficient and effective service, GE and GE Foundation made commendable effort with the provision of state of art equipment to be used for the Biomedical School.”