Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu formally commissioned the newly built Sickle Cell Centre at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), donated by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, on Friday.
In his address, Governor Sanwo-Olu commended the SSA to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Adefulire for her continuous commitment and contributions towards healthcare advancement in Lagos State. He described the intervention as a “remarkable donation” strategic to the State’s healthcare value chain, noting that the project would scale up response time to cases and stem infant mortality.
He said: “This collaboration with the Office of the SSA to the President on SDGs is a testament to our collective commitment to improving care for children living with sickle cell diseases. I acknowledge Princess Orelope-Adefulire for her vision and commitment to healthcare advancement that made this Centre a reality. This will not only transform our healthcare landscape; it will also add to the number of childcare facilities in Lagos. If we all work together, we can achieve a lot more together”.
The Governor added that the Centre will provide comprehensive care that will include early diagnosis, advanced treatment and continuous management to children who are suffering from the debilitating condition and equally serve as a hub for research and education, which will foster a deeper understanding of the disease and more importantly, it will contribute to reducing infant mortality index.
He equally expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for finding Lagos worthy to benefit from the intervention, adding that the project had further reinforced the health vision of the President to enhance the nation’s capacity to meet global health coverage.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa, in his message, said the event marked a significant milestone in an ongoing collaborative effort to combat non-communicable diseases and improve healthcare outcomes for all Nigerians. He said the establishment of the state-of-the-art Sickle Cell Centre is an effort of the SDG office to contribute to the provision of quality health care and infrastructure to people to offer comprehensive care for early diagnosis and treatment to the ongoing management and support for sickle cell patients and their families.
On her part, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, said that sickle cell disease had impacted communities across the nation negatively, subjecting families to psychological torture, this informed the priority accorded to the development of modern medical care with the capability to address the growing cases.
She noted that the Centre was designed as a one-stop shop for all the medical components required for sickle cell care and support for children and adolescents with Sickle Cell disorder.
In his address, the Chief Medical Director LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo O. Fabamwo said the Sickle Cell Centre houses facilities for clinics, wards, daycare centre, investigation as well as educational and research activities exclusively for children afflicted with sickle cell disease.
He further said that sickle cell disease is a very serious inherited blood disorder that affects the body’s red blood cells and causes them to sickle, leading to various complications. Nigeria has one of the highest rates of the disease in the world with up to three million people living with the condition which also contributes to childhood mortality and morbidity; Therefore, it is very important to have a Centre that will offer preventive and therapeutic care to children dealing with this disease.
Fabamwo also mentioned that the establishment of the Centre will take a huge chunk of load off the usual crowded Paediatrics clinic and wards while patients will have the benefit of a conducive environment where they would be attended to and those that need daycare will come and go home while those that need more care will be admitted.
“LASUTH under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is blessed to have been able to attract donors, partners and benefactors who through their contributions have made the burden of healthcare management lighter for the hospital”, the CMD said.
The SSA also donated an Ambulance to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
The event had in attendance the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Member House of Representatives Ikeja Federal Constituency, Hon. James Faleke represented by Hon. Adedamola Kasunmu, All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts and LASUTH Staff, among others.
