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By Doris Obinna
The Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged pregnant women and would-be mothers to avoid patronizing unregistered birth homes, which he said may result in complications, lead to birth defects or loss of mother and the unborn child.
The governor said this at the inauguration of the specialist health facility in Epe Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, the facility is meant to cater to the health needs of women and children in Epe and its environs. He stated that his administration was committed eradicating maternal and child deaths in Lagos with the four-floor, 110-bed Maternal and Childcare Centre (MCC), opened recently.
He also stated that his administration would, through consistent action and smart investments in the health sector, ensure that no woman or child dies from normal life-enhancing process of procreation.
He said: “In the last two years, we have shown great commitment to the improvement of maternal and child health indices in the state. This four-floor, 110-bed MCC is another essential facility for safe childbirth and the reduction of maternal and infant mortality.
“Our overarching goal is to eradicate infant and child mortality in our state, while our women must no longer die while giving life. We remain unwaveringly committed to this goal.”
While noting that the Epe MCC brings to four the total number of MCCs delivered by his administration, including the ones already inaugurated in Badagry, Eti-Osa and Igando, the governor said that the plan was to build more MCCs across Lagos to improve access to qualitative maternal and child health services.
“We are not done. Our plan is to build maternal child centres across the state to improve the access of expectant mothers to the best pre- and post-natal care by professional health workers, using modern and state-of-the-art facilities.
“There is no better time than now to put an end to preventable maternal and child deaths with technological advancement, modern equipment and well-trained health workers; the process of bringing life into existence should no longer lead to the loss of another life,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He explained that the Epe MCC was a secondary public health facility that would provide all services related to reproductive issues, including obstetrics, gynecology, paediatrics, family planning, immunization, laboratory services and radiology, apart from emergency services.
Sanwo-Olu averred that his administration would leave no stone unturned to provide fully-equipped, modern health facilities all over Lagos State as part of the fulfillment the ‘Health’ pillar of the THEMES agenda.
“As you know, health is a major pillar of this administration’s THEMES agenda. Healthy citizens build healthy societies and economies; we are leaving no stone unturned to provide fully equipped modern health facilities all over the state.
“Where necessary, we will build new health facilities; where appropriate, we will renovate and upgrade existing health facilities. You can, however, rest assured that, all over Lagos State, our health facilities will be fully equipped and staffed to meet the health needs of all Lagosians, this is our promise,” he said.
He hinted that his administration has commenced the construction of the biggest children’s hospital in Africa, the New Massey Street Children’s Hospital, a new general hospital in Ojo, as well as the renovation of secondary health facilities across the state, as part of efforts towards medical infrastructure overhaul in Lagos.
He added that the Epe MCC was fully equipped and staff with experts to provide mother and child health services in Epe and its environs.
“This MCC and the modern equipment that has been provided were made possible through taxpayers’ money: your money. You must, therefore, see it as your property and safeguard it because it is an essential facility that has been provided to save lives and promote your wellbeing.
“Through our collective efforts, we will build a safe and healthy Lagos State, where expectant mothers and our children survive and thrive,” he stated.
In his remarks, Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, stressed that, since the commencement of operation at the Epe MCC three weeks ago, 590 women have been attended to, while more than 100 babies have been born there.
He added that medical experts in the facility, comprising of 9 doctors and 20 nurses, have also attended to 630 paediatric cases: “This facility has staff strength of 20 nurses and nine doctors and is well positioned and equipped to buttress its staffing capacity. Ten more doctors and 20 nurses will soon be deployed by the Health Service Commission to the Epe General Hospital to complement the staff strength.”
“The completion of this critical health infrastructure gives us confidence that the administration of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is intentional and fully committed to winning the battle against maternal and child mortality in our state.”
