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‘Why Lagos embarked on massive health infrastructure development’

By Wole Oyebade
07 May 2015   |   12:44 am
THE State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris has asserted that the objective of the state government’s large scale infrastructural development in the health sector was necessitated essentially by the need to enhance the efficiency of the health workforce as well as increasing the scope and quality of service delivery in the health facilities.
MINH

Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Dr. Jide Idris(left); Commissioner for Information, Lateef Ibirogba; Special Adviser on Public Health to the Governor, Dr. Yewande Adeshina; and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Modele Oshunkiyesi at the 2015 Lagos State Ministerial Press Briefing held at Lagos Secretariat on Tuesday PHOTO; SUNDAY AKINLOLU

THE State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris has asserted that the objective of the state government’s large scale infrastructural development in the health sector was necessitated essentially by the need to enhance the efficiency of the health workforce as well as increasing the scope and quality of service delivery in the health facilities.

Idris who spoke in Lagos yesterday at a ministerial press briefing marking eighth year anniversary and successful completion of second term of the Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) led Administration in office noted that State has continued to invest in delivering high quality human and environmentally friendly infrastructure in the Health sector relevant to the Millennium Development Goals.

He added that the infrastructure development involved the revamping of health and related structures through phased rehabilitation, equipping and upgrading of existing health facilities and the construction of new ones at all levels of care.

The Commissioner who posited that the level of infrastructural upgrade would hopefully continue to attract Nigerian health professionals in Diaspora, listed project embarked on and completed in the last one year to include; Cardiac and Renal Centre at Gbagada General Hospital; Construction of Mortuary at Badagry General Hospital; Renovation, Extension and Equipping of Mortuary at General Hospital Epe and Ikorodu; and renovation and upgrading Epe Comprehensive PHC Flagship Centre.

Idris said: “Some projects were awarded during the period under review and the implementation of ongoing projects was adequately supervised with appropriate inter-ministerial collaboration to ensure quality and timely delivery.

These projects include renovation, extension and equipping of Old Ayinke House which is at 75% completion stage; construction of a new Critical Care Unit at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) which is at 85% completion stage and construction of a Four-Story Basic Medical Sciences Office Block at Lagos State College of Medicine (LASUCOM) which is at 65% completion stage”.

According to the Commissioner, other infrastructural development currently going on in the state’s health sector include, construction of Maternal and Child Health Complex at Eti-Osa, Epe and Badagry; construction of School of Nursing Hostel, Igando; Renovation of Epe General Hospital, renovation of Epe Staff Quarters, Staff Quarters at General Hospital, Lagos and Staff Residential Quarters at Ikorodu General Hospital amongst others.

Highlighting other infrastructures development in the State Tertiary institution, LASUTH, Idris stated that LASUTH was connected to the State Government Mainland Independent Power Project on the 19th of October, 2014 to ensure 24hour uninterrupted power supply adding that installation of oxygen piping at the hospital surgical emergency wards and installation of mail server and accessories for the central data storage facility to reduce expenditure on provision of backups was also carried out during the period under review.

“The hospital also acquired the following equipment; Echocardiography Machine, Stress ECG Machine, PCR Machine, Saturn Biochemistry Equipment, Ultramodern ENT Equipment, Ventilators and Anesthesia Equipment. 10 new dental chairs, Doppler and Biothesiometry Machines were also donated by a Non-Governmental Organization, Structured Health Care Initiative”, the Commissioner said.

He noted that the basis for sustained investments in health as a public good by administration of Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola is borne out of the conviction that in the pursuit of the public good, individual health needs are also met and secured.

“We see our modest contributions from the perspective of the positive impact which the health of Lagosians has on the overall development of population groups in the State and national economy”, Idris said.

The Commissioner added that performance in the health sector has been guided by the noble goal that every Lagosian enjoys unfettered access to qualitative healthcare without significant geographical, financial, cultural or political barriers adding the vision and mission in the health sector has always been ‘’to attain excellence in health service delivery by applying best practices at all levels of care’’, and to ‘’to deliver qualitative, affordable and equitable healthcare service to the citizenry applying appropriate technology by highly motivated staff’’ respectively.

While giving assurance of the State government’s commitment to increased investment in infrastructure and human capital development to encourage best practices and inspire health workers with the most efficient tools of their profession, Idris said that “we will remain focused to continue to address and convert challenges to opportunities and success stories and will continue to honestly deliver to the best of our abilities and within the resources available to the State, such that Lagos shall be a destination of best practices in the health sector”.

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