Tayo Ogunbiyi
Lagos State has delivered a latest ‘baby’. The Eti-Osa Mother and Child Center (MCC) represents fresh evidence of the present Sanwo-Olu administration’s resolve to transform public health in the State.
At the commissioning of the 110-bed MCC, which is an integral part of activities commemorating the administration’s 100 Days in office, Governor Sanwo-Olu reiterated his administration’s determination to ensure unhindered access to quality health care by all residents of the State.
He further disclosed that efforts would be geared towards providing accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to Lagosians.
”We will ensure quality health service delivery, increase access to maternal and child health services in Lagos State,” he said.
Without a doubt, the 110-bed facility, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to ensure top-class health services for users, would go a long way in bringing about considerable improvement in the maternal and child health indices of Lagos State.
It was specially designed to provide integrated healthcare services for women of child bearing age and children. It has modern equipment and furniture that would enhance the achievement of better maternal and child health indices in Eti-Osa Local Government Area and adjoining environs. It will also go a long way to boost our goal of achieving universal health coverage.
The latest MCC further underscores the present administration’s commitment to the provision of unconstrained access to medical care by the citizenry. It will be recalled that a free medical initiative tagged “Healthy Bee Project”, a collaborative effort of the State Government and a Non-Governmental Organization, BOSKOH Lagos Healthcare Mission International (HMI), just came to an end.
The 4-week programme, which was aimed at addressing the lack of adequate medical care among citizens of the State, attended to critical medical needs of over 25,000 Lagosians.
It is an all-inclusive health programme meant to accentuate the relevance of Health in the THEMES Agenda of the present administration Six Pillars of Development.
The free medical mission was organized in collaboration with Healthcare Mission International, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to deliver free health care services especially to children between ages 0 to 12 with a strategic vision to protect children from sickness that may impede their potentials.
There is no doubt that the State Government recognizes the prime place of children in the survival of humanity as the Sanwo-Olu led government graciously offered to collaborate with Healthcare Mission International to make children healthier. The programme involves screening children for visual and hearing impairments, and other ailments that can negatively impede their capacity to study.
Following the flag off of the programme across the State, not less than 25,000 residents received various forms of medical interventions in 7 strategic Primary Healthcare Centres.
The designated Primary Healthcare Centres where the screening was done were Ajara PHC in Badagry; Akerele PHC in Surulere; Ikotun PHC in Alimosho; Iga-Idungaran PHC on Lagos Island; Epe PHC in Epe; Onigbongbo PHC in Ikeja and Ita-Elewa PHC in Ikorodu.
At the flag-off ceremony, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat highlighted the significance of the programme, stating that it is a component of State Government’s developmental agenda to reposition healthcare and offer disadvantaged children access to quality medical care.
Through the initiative, 802 residents successfully had pediatric eye surgery, adult eye surgery, pediatric surgery, dental surgery, orthopedic surgery and Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgery.
Another 615 persons booked for various surgeries, making it a total of 1417 free surgeries carried out through the health mission.
Presently, another free health mission has been put in place to carry out surgical interventions for 100 residents with lipomas, breast lumps, hernia and fibroid, as part of activities to commemorate the 100 days in Office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
Undoubtedly, the delivery of qualitative and effective healthcare services in response to the ever-increasing healthcare demand of the expanding population in Lagos is overriding to the administration.
The 2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey in Nigeria reveals that out of every 100,000 pregnant women 576 dies at childbirth, while that of Lagos was estimated at 555.
For every 1,000 live births, 77 do not live to make it to their first birthday, while for Lagos, the figure was 45. However, in-spite of being marginally better than the rest of Nigeria, Lagos still has a long way to go.
Universally, the MCC model is intended to address the Sustainable Development Goal 5b, which is to reduce child death from 45 to less than 20 per 1,000 live births and the death of pregnant mothers to less than 40 per 100,000 births.
From 2008 till date, the State Government had built 8 MCCs across the State viz-a-viz Isolo, Ikorodu, Ifako-Ijaye, Amuwo-Odofin, Gbaja (Surulere), Ajeromi and Alimosho. The Eti-Osa facility is the eighth addition.
Each of the centers has five clinics for mothers, babies and children. The 100 bed facility also has neonatal unit for premature babies, labor ward with delivery room, emergency clinic, a theatre for Cesarean sections in complicated deliveries and much more. These centers apart, from being primarily equipped to reduce maternal and child mortality, also serve as training grounds for staff. Recent renovation and extension of Ayinke House, the State’s Tertiary Obstetrics and Gynecology health facility, is also part of the holistic approach to tackling maternal and child mortality.
Presently, the Sanwo-Olu administration is working hard towards the completion of more MCCs in the State. In particular, the Badagry and Epe MCCs are nearing completion.
The State government has equally empowered its Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas to build health facilities that will cater for the maternal and child health care need for the people at the grassroots. This is aimed at decongesting the secondary and tertiary health facilities in the state. These centres regularly give free immunization to children between ages 0-5 years against childhood and preventable diseases such as yellow fever, tetanus, tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, measles and hepatitis.
In addition to this, Production and dissemination of Behavioral Change Communication (B.C.C.) materials reinforcing essential Key house-hold practices of women, family members and communities through production of posters and handbills on danger signs in pregnancy, birth preparedness, exclusive breastfeeding, ten (10) steps to successful pregnancy, nutrition in pregnancy, nutrition for school-age children, community-based newborn care, immunization schedule and management of diarrhea.
Furthermore, the State government has developed and produced a Maternal Health Booklet for women of child-bearing-age in the State. This is a comprehensive health promoting home-based booklet which includes birth planning, pregnancy-related health check-up schedules and emergency care, delivery information, postnatal care, family planning, immunization, neonatal and child care guide.
It acts as a two way-communication tool between health care provider and pregnant mother to raise awareness on safe motherhood and quality maternal and child health services.
Ogunbiyi is of the Lagos State Ministry of Information & strategy, Alausa, Ikeja
