• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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BusinessDay

Lagos to boost capacity of health facilities to deliver quality services

Sanwo-Olu inspects ongoing Opebi-Mende-Ojota link bridge

The Lagos State Government said it has perfected plans to build a world-class health system that will adequately cater for the health needs of the people in line with THEMES agenda.

To achieve this, the State Government will be enhancing the delivery capacity of all health facilities in the state including the primary, secondary and tertiary facilities.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State disclosed this in Lagos during the Y2021 Health Forum with the theme, ‘The Art of Building a World-Class Health System,’ organised by the State Government in collaboration with the State Health Service Commission (HSC).

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by Folasade Jaji, secretary to the State Government, said that establishing a robust health system would complement the status of a megacity and 21st-century economy desired for the state.

According to him, the state will provide modern health equipment, qualified and motivated health personnel, and an environment conducive for private sector participation in the health sector.

The Governor said his administration has continued to recruit competent health workers, enhance skill and build capacity in essential areas of healthcare service.

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“As a government, we will continue to play the role expected of us by building a world class health system that will not only curb medical tourism outside the country, but also improve the potential of earning foreign exchange from foreigners seeking medical care in our health facilities,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu commended the health workers for their courage, passion and dedication in saving lives, especially during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

On his part, Akin Abayomi, the commissioner for Health, said that the state was working on developing specialist facilities within the general hospitals to make Lagos a destination of expertise in any discipline of health care.

According to him, the government’s approach to transform the health sector would not focus on the development of the public health facilities alone.

Abayomi said that the state would set a benchmark, standard and regulatory framework to ensure that the private hospitals are practising according to international best practises.

Leke Pitan, former Lagos State Commissioner for Health, advised the state to deepen public-private partnership, which is a sustainable way to develop the health sector.

Commenting, Atinuke Onayiga, chairman, Health Service Commission, said that a gap analysis would be conducted at the commission and also each of the 28 secondary health facilities, in order to fill the identified gaps.

She said that these would assist all health facilities to build momentum for improved service and provide sustainable innovative utilising technology.

Onayiga said that the forum provides an avenue for the leadership of hospitals and HSC to brainstorm on solutions to the challenges facing the state’s secondary healthcare system.

She said that the platform was also to engender inter-professional collaboration among all cadres of the healthcare workforce.