… Commissions 6 medical projects

… Breaks Ground for 11-Floor Doctors’ Quarters

By Chioma Obinna

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday in Lagos said the Federal and State Government’s partnership in delivering modern medical infrastructure at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, will boost the healthcare system in the state.

Sanwo-Olu, spoke while commissioning six medical infrastructure projects at LASUTH including; a 124-Bed SDG Multipurpose Medical Building; the Renovated House Officers’ Quarters; the Faculty of Basic Medical and Clinical Sciences Building; an Ambulance Bay; a Special Services Centre and a Sports complex within the hospital.

Represented by the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, said the Federal Government through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, donated the multipurpose medical building equipped with modern medical care facilities comprising medical schools in the areas of Anaesthesia Technology, Echo Cardiograph, Orthopaedic Cast Technology and Post Graduate Nursing.

Sanwo-Olu noted that it will significantly raise the status of LASUTH as a leading medical centre of excellence in healthcare services.

“I have no doubt in my mind that with this facility, and several others that have been put in place in other parts of the country, we are on the path to improving our nation’s human capital development index and achieving the set targets under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“All of these facilities have been provided in fulfilment of our promises and commitment to the good people of Lagos State under the Health and Environment pillar of our administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S development agenda. We are committed to doing more in this second term of our administration and raising the bar of excellence”.

Speaking, the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, commended the federal and state government for the expansion and improvement of medical facilities at the tertiary hospital.

Fabanwo explained that the 120-bed multipurpose medical facility will complement the existing inadequate bed space in LASUTH.

He said the projects are intended to bridge the gap in the state’s healthcare sector and to solve challenges of interventional procedures on a private-public partnership model.

Fabanwo said the unique service centre accommodates a dialysis unit, a bronchoscopy suite, a cardiac catheterization laboratory and an endoscopy suite, whose services are economically affordable for patients across the state, to curb medical tourism.

Speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, Adejoke Orolope-Adefulire, said Lagos state deserves Federal Government’s attention following its huge population.

She said the Federal Government is committed to realising all the sustainable development goals, hence the high and advanced infrastructural development in tertiary health institutions that will cater for all residents of the state and across the country.

She further noted that the high edifice in LASUTH has been built to accommodate the very important persons (VVIPs), as the kind of private care they seek in private and foreign hospitals is now rendered in LASUTH.

Also Speaking, the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi explained that the different medical infrastructure projects that were commissioned are of immense value and significance in the effort of the Sanwo-Olu-led administration to improve the State Health indices.

He explained that the 124-Bed SDG Multipurpose Medical Building donated by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals is an L-Shaped 2-Storey structure with a waiting shed geared towards expansion, improvement of healthcare delivery and to complement the existing inadequate bed compliment at LASUTH.

Abayomi noted that the Renovated House Officers’ Quarters has 22 self-contain apartments with six general lounges inclusive of Toilets and Bathrooms, a Terrace and 6 general kitchens adding that the project equally supports the LASUTH in securing accreditation from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria for the training of House Officers.

“The Faculty of Basic Medical and Clinical Sciences Building is a four-floor project built to enhance the learning process of tutors and students of the Lagos State University College of Medicine. The building houses a reception, offices, conference rooms, lecture rooms, lecture theatres, conference rooms, and laboratories including; an anatomy laboratory and physiology laboratory.

“The Ambulance Bay is a storey building facility that houses the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) activities in the Ikeja division of Lagos State. The Ambulance Bay is designed to ensure quick response to emergencies especially road traffic accidents and other medical emergencies and improved response time to emergencies. The facility has a Reception, Kitchenette, Driver’s Lounge, Office space for administrative activities, and Male and Female Bedrooms for the convenience of staff running the night shift”, Abayomi said.

He stated that the Special Services Centre (SSC) is intended to bridge the gap in our healthcare sector and solve challenges of interventional procedures on a Private Public Partnership model.
According to him, the SSC accommodates a Dialysis Unit, a Bronchoscopy Suite, a Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and an Endoscopy Suite whose services are economically affordable to patients across the State.

He noted that the Unit has eight dialysis stations which cater for a minimum of 22 sessions daily and 660 dialysis sessions monthly in addition to the existing six dialysis machines in the Critical Care Unit (CCU) of LASUTH.