Minister directs LUTH management to de-congest accident, emergency unit

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, on Friday directed the management of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, to immediately transfer patients in the Accident and Emergency Unit to the wards.

Adewole, who gave the directive while inspecting facilities at the hospital, said that the order was imperative in order to decongest the unit for prompt attention to emergency cases.

According to him, the main purpose of the emergency unit is to ensure prompt response to emergencies.

“The purpose of Accident and Emergency Unit is to ensure prompt respond to emergency cases, but what I saw here this morning is congestion.

“The facility here cannot absorb new cases, because if there is any other causality, this place should be able to accommodate them.

“So, once the first aid is administered, patients should be moved to the wards in order to create space for new cases,” he said.

The minister also urged doctors and nurses in the labour ward to communicate with their patients for better and effective service delivery.

“Let there be synergy and teamwork between health workers and the patients, because lack of effective communication can lead to mortality,” he said.

He, however, commended the resourcefulness of LUTH management in putting in place measures to address the epileptic power supply in the institution.

He promised to liaise with his counterpart in the Ministry of Finance to make funds available to the hospital for its activities.

Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Chris Bode, who had earlier conducted the minister round the hospital, said that the management was waiting for funds to facilitate supply of gas to power the new Independent Power Station.

Among the facilities inspected by the minister were the Modular Theatre Operating Room, new labour complex, Colposcopy Unit, the Independent Power Station and the IVF Centre.