By Haruna Gimba
The Lagos State Government says it has procured N2.5 billion health equipment for General Hospitals in the state in a bid to boost the secondary healthcare system.
Addressing a news conference in Ikeja, Lagos, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris said the health sector had witnessed an alarmingly progressive increase in the health facility utilization trends for key health care services, with the procurement of N2.5 billion health facilities to boost the sector.
Dr Jide Idris
“This is especially pertinent with respect to the health needs of various population age groups with a resultant overstretching of the resources/capacity of the existing public health facilities requiring urgent but multi-faceted strategic interventions.
“It was in this context that strategic infrastructural development of the health sector, upgrading of the existing facilities to a reputable standard and provision of key equipment was embarked upon by the State Government,” he said.
Dr Idris said new health sector infrastructural development projects embarked upon by this administration include Construction of Helipad at LASUTH, Purchase of 20 Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) ambulances, purchase of 26 transport ambulances, power generators and mobile x-ray machines for all the secondary and tertiary health
facilities.
The commissioner said other infrastructural upgrade includes installation of additional mortuary refrigerators at Ikorodu and Mainland Hospital Mortuaries, completion of the renovation and upgrading of Epe General Hospital (Phase One- Renovation of theatre complex, X-ray, Laboratory, Pharmacy, OPD and Accident & Emergency) and Prince Ebeano Mother and Child Unit, General Hospital Akodo, donated by Prince Ebeano Supermarkets was also commissioned on October 19, 2017.
He said renovation works were carried out in phases in several General Hospitals within the State, which included Apapa General Hospital, Epe General Hospital and Mainland General Hospital under phase 1.
The commissioner said the Phase II included renovation works at Orile-Agege, Agbowa, Gbagada and Ikorodu General Hospitals and Lagos Island Maternity Hospital while Phase III included renovation works at LASUTH Ikeja, Badagry, Alimosho and Surulere General Hospitals, Accident and Emergency at Toll Gate, Ijede Health Centre and Ketu Ejinrin Health Centre.
Idris added that the effect of infrastructural development in the health sector by the state, aside from enhancing the efficiency of the health workforce and increasing the scope and quality of service delivered at the health facilities was geared towards ensuring that Lagos State emerged as a prime global destination for persons in quest of qualitative medical care.
