Residents of Badagry in Lagos, especially pregnant women will no longer need to travel long distances to other parts of the state to give birth, as the state government has completed and handed over a new Maternal, Childcare Centre (MCC) in Badagry.
Also unveiled in Badagry is the School of Anesthesia meant for the training of medical doctors and other health professionals. Both facilities are located within the premises of the Badagry General Hospital.
At the commissioning of the health facilities on Saturday, January 23, the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the MCC was intended as a measure to reduce maternal and infant mortality in the state.
He averred that the completion of the MCC was a critical indicator of his commitment to eradicating maternal and child mortality as well as his determination to consolidate achievements recorded in improving maternal and child health outcomes.
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“I am immensely proud to be here today to hand over the newly constructed and equipped four-floor 110-bed Maternal and Child Centre, and the School of Anesthetic Studies, Badagry to the people of Badagry.
“Maternal and child mortality are so close to my heart that I am ready to do everything within my personal and official capacity to put an end to it in Lagos State. In most developing countries including Nigeria, there are disturbing maternal, newborn and child mortality indices, but under my watch, Lagos State will change the narrative”
“Through consistent action and smart investments, our women will no longer die while giving life; we will eradicate infant and under-5 mortality in our state”, he vowed.
While noting that his administration will not pay lip service to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Sanwo-Olu said that his administration is taking concrete action to ensure that residents have greater access to all they need for a peaceful and prosperous life in every sphere.
“It is incontrovertible fact that there can be no socio-economic development without healthy citizens; we all know the crucial role of women in the entrenchment of a developed and progressive society – it has, therefore, become imperative to put an end to preventable maternal and child death”, the governor explained.
He said the fully equipped Badagry Maternal and Child Centre holds great potential for healthcare delivery adding that it is a one-stop-centre for all reproductive issues including family planning, gynaecology, paediatrics, immunisation, obstetrics and emergency services amongst other services.
The governor disclosed that the facility since the commencement of operation late December 2020 has recorded 3000 out-patient clinic attendance. He added that 49 normal deliveries and 60 caesarian sections have also been carried out at the centre.
“My excitement is palpable because I know what this means for our integrated health system in Lagos State. With the inauguration of this Maternal and Child Centre, the people of Badagry and adjoining communities now have increased access to quality and safe healthcare, reduction or even complete eradication of maternal and infant mortality as well as the general improvement in all maternal and child health indices in this local government. “All these benefits will, in turn, have a positive ripple effect on the development of socio-economic indices of Badagry”, Sanwo-Olu stated.
While noting that another Maternal and Child Centre in Epe would soon be completed and commissioned, the Governor disclosed that his administration has mapped out a strategy for phased upgrade and revamping of health infrastructure across all levels of care.
He listed some of the public secondary health facilities that have been identified for phased expansion and upgrade to include; General Hospital Lagos, General Hospital, Isolo, Ebute Meta and Harvey Road Health Centres.
The governor also revealed that the plans have been concluded to commence the construction of a General Hospital in Ojo, a new Massey Street Children’s Hospital on the Island, a Mental Health Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre in Ketu-Ejirin, an Infectious Disease Centre and Permanent Isolation Centre at Yaba.
Speaking on the School of Anesthesia facility upgrade, Sanwo-Olu stated that the school which has trained 133 doctors and 65 nurses validates his administration’s dedication to capacity building and the professional empowerment of the State’s medical workforce.
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