By Ayo Kehinde
For quackery and substandard practices, such as non-registration, lack of qualified medical personnel, training of auxiliary nurses, lack of basic equipment, practicing beyond schedule, impersonation and above all, danger to the public health of its citizens, the Lagos State Government has shutdown 143 hospitals and other health facilities across the state.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi disclosed this at a ministerial briefing to mark the second year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in office held in Ikeja, Lagos.
According to him, the health facilities were shut by the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) in the last one year..
He added that HEFAMAA also registered 4,187 health facilities and that additional 39 health facilities were assessed for recommendation to Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) for enrollment into the Lagos State Health Scheme.
The commissioner also said the state government has embarked on a total overhaul of infrastructure across all levels of its healthcare delivery system, saying that the roadmap for the upgrade of infrastructure in the State-owned health facilities began last year, following the approval of the plan by the executive council.
He said: “In last one year, we have embarked on a phased but comprehensive revamp of our secondary health facilities as part of our medical infrastructure upgrade roadmap which is aimed at raising access to quality and bringing about efficiently run health facilities.
“This effort commenced in the previous year and it is expected to address issues of design errors, drainage, patient flow, staff flow, water collection, infection prevention, energy and ventilations.
“We have renovated and remodeled the Mainland Hospital in Yaba with future plans of making it an Institute of Research for Infectious Disease. We have also completed the remodeling 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.”
According to the Commissioner, the Sanwo-Olu administration has completed, equipped and handed over two multi-level Maternal and Childcare Centre (MCC) in Eti-Osa and Badagry. The construction of another 110-bed MCC, he said, has been completed in Epe and is due for commissioning in the coming weeks.
He disclosed executive council had also approved the construction of new hospitals to bridge gaps in access and services in the health sector. This, he said, is in tandem with the determination of current administration to achieve the goals set in the Health and Environment pillar of its T.H.E.M.E.S agenda.
He said: “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 Traige 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 at Gbagada General Hospital.”
