Ayodeji Ake
With lessons and experiences gathered from COVID-19 pandemic, the Lagos State government (LASG), has further strengthened her health facilities for swift responses against future health emergencies.
Addressing journalists recently at the press centre, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, noted that to prevent and respond effectively for a possible disease outbreak in the future, the state is currently upgrading and building new infrastructure with the experience it gathered from the current pandemic.
Abayomi said the roadmap for the upgrade of infrastructure in the state-owned health facilities, being executed by the Medical Project Implementation Unit (MPIU) in phases, was aimed at building resilient healthcare in Lagos and increasing residents’ access to quality universal health coverage.
In his dispensations, he said the comprehensive refurbishment was being carried out in short, medium- and long-term bases said in line with the Sanwo-Olu administration to achieve the goals set in the Health and Environment pillar of its T.H.E.M.E.S agenda, the upgrade is cutting across primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare.
He said: “We have renovated and remodelled the Mainland Hospital in Yaba with future plans of making it an Institute of Research for Infectious Disease.
“We have also completed the remodelling and upgrade of Apapa General Hospital, just as we currently renovate Harvey Road Health Centre, Ebute Metta Health Centre, Isolo General Hospital and the General Hospital, Odan Lagos. All of these are in the effort to make health accessible.”
“In fulfilment of our medical infrastructure blueprint agenda, we have commenced the construction of a 280-bed General Hospital in Ojo, 150-bed New Massey Street Children’s Hospital, while the Governor has also approved the construction and equipping of 1,500-bed Psychiatric Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre at Majidun in Ketu Ejinrin.
“In the course of the year, we have completed the construction of a four-storey Faculty of Basic Medical and Clinical Sciences Office Block at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and plans have been concluded for renovation and upgrade of some facilities at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in tandem with our medical infrastructure blueprint strategy for the tertiary health facilities.
“In partnership with the private sector, we have completed and handed over an oxygen plant at Mainland and Gbagada General Hospitals.
“We have delivered Triage and Oxygen Centres in 10 locations across Lagos. In raising staff welfare, we have started the construction of a 24-unit Doctors’ and Staff Quarters in Gbagada General Hospital.”
Curbing the third wave of COVID-19 in Lagos, he said all strides gained in the fight against the virus would be lost without improved border surveillance against the importation of new and mutant strains.
“All passengers arriving in Nigeria will now have to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of travel rather than the previous 96 hours period.
” I have hence instructed that all these protocols would be made more stringent to protect the residents of Lagos State from an impending third wave.
“As part of these protocols, passengers are to be mandatorily isolated for the required seven days and will be strictly monitored through phone calls by our EKOTELEMED platform and physical visits to the passengers’ homes by our surveillance teams,” he said.