Lagos Healthcare Infrastructural Road Map

number of the women development and skill acquisition centres. One is due for commissioning in Agege. She added that eight vocational centres are at their completion stages, including skill acquisition, gari processing, cold room, market stall and community hall in Ibeshe Town, Amuwo Odofin, and a home for survivors of domestic violence.

Nigeria - Lagos State Government is overhauling infrastructure across all levels of its healthcare delivery system, Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi has said.

The Commissioner, who spoke at the ongoing inter-ministerial press briefing organised to mark the second year anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in office, said the upgrade of infrastructure began last year, following the approval of the plan by the Executive Council.

At the event held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Abayomi gave an account of stewardship of the Ministry’s activities in the last two years. He explained that the infrastructure roadmap was being executed by the ministry’s Medical Project Implementation Unit (MPIU) in phases, revamping facilities across primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare sectors. He said the overhaul was part of a strategy to build a resilient healthcare in Lagos and increase residents’ access to quality universal health coverage. Abayomi said the effort would bring about fit-for-purpose healthcare facilities that would raise the government’s capacity to respond to contemporary and future health challenges. The renewal is being carried out in short, medium- and long-term bases, he said.

Part of the new features to be seen, the Commissioner said, will include improved efficiency for physical maintenance, ease of movement, low carbon footprint, low energy consumption, infection prevention and control as well as staff and patient comfort.

He said: “In last one year, we have embarked on phased but comprehensive revamping of our secondary health facilities as part of our medical infrastructure upgrade roadmap, which is aimed at raising access to quality and bring 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 ventilation.

“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 upgrading of Apapa General Hospital, just as we are renovating 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 Centres (MCC) in Eti-Osa and Badagry. The construction of a 110-bed MCC, he said, has been completed in Epe and is due for commissioning in the coming weeks. Abayomi noted that the upgrade was being done in a sustainable way, which would take another decade for major repairs to be done, except statutory maintenance by the hospital management and the Lagos State Asset Maintenance Agency (LASIAMA).

He said the 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 the SanwoOlu 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 and the 150-bed New Massey Street Children’s Hospital. The Governor 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 fourstorey 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 oxygen plants 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 at Gbagada General Hospital.”

Abayomi also disclosed that work had begun on the blueprint designs for Comprehensive Health Center, Primary Health Center and Health Posts as part of the move to rejig their operations and service delivery.