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By Doris Obinna
Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Health have said that the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba and its environs need to be kept clean and conducive at all time.
While charging the institution to try and keep the hospital and it’s surrounding clean and conducive disclosed that issue of environment has been a serious challenge and that not much has been done since their last visit.
The Chairman, House of Representative Committee on Health, Dr Paschal Chigozie, said: “On the issue of environment, I don’t think LUTH has done so much in that regard. The place is still almost the same way it was the last time we visited in 2019.”
The committee, while carrying out an assessment and facilities tour, stated that conducive and comfortable waiting rooms around the hospital especially at the labour wards will help visitors relax.
Representing Agege Federal Constituency, Hon. Samuel Adejara, urged the institution to improve the outlook of the hospital and get rid of situations whereby people seats anywhere or hang around the corridors of the wards.
They however reiterated that the institution had recorded a lot of improvement in other areas among other health institutions in the country.
Chigozie said that the committee inspected the hospital and saw ongoing capital projects for the year. “The committee is satisfied with the level of work on the ongoing projects.”
While commending the Federal Government for allocating funds to health institutions, he extolled the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, other philanthropists and organisations who had been benevolent to LUTH.
He said: “I must confess that the Speaker has done well by allocating funds to LUTH, however, I implore him to also replicate such gesture across health institutions in the country.”
He said the management of LUTH would be invited for further discussions on the papers as the committee was unable to go through LUTH’s submission.
Hon. Dachung Bagos moved the motion for the committee to look into the papers at a later date and it was seconded by Adejare.
Facilities inspected include the labour ward, dialysis centre, health insurance management scheme, intensive care unit (ICU) and children surgical ward.
On his part, Chief Medical Director (CMD), LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, disclosed that the hospital was facing some challenges.
The CMD, who was represented by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, said that some of the challenges includes: replacement of staff that had mostly left as a result of brain drain, acute shortage of manpower, appointment of house officers, and encroachment of parts of the hospital’s lands.
“The hospital’s land at the Idi-Araba axis, opposite LUTH main gate (Vegetable Garden) had been subjected to much encroachment as a result of the past default and neglect. The various bodies were still trying to erect structures on the only piece of land available for on-going development in the hospital.
“Management had appealed to the board to kindly assist by formulating a holistic policy that would guide the hospital management to solve the problem once and for all,” he stated.
