For Lagos State to continue to set the needed pace as the leader in healthcare delivery in the country, the Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu has reiterated his commitment to rebuild medical facilities to promote good healthcare delivery
The idea of medical infrastructure transformation was birthed in 2020 during the state council on health meeting.
The outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic actually revealed the true need for the medical infrastructure transformation says, Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi.
Since then, lots of efforts he said, have gone into actual remodeling, renovation and laying the foundation of some capital projects to enhance healthcare of residents.
However, according to Governor Sanwoolu, "the blueprint on medical infrastructure transformation is meant "to serve as the prototype document that will determine the direction of the healthcare infrastructure in the state for the foreseeable future"
The governor noted that the state already has a deficit in up-to-date medical facilities even as the existing ones are in dire need of upgrading and rehabilitation.
"For in stance, we are making sure that
there are two to three PHCs in every ward. We are making sure that in almost 2-3kms you turn a bend, you have a Primary Health Care facility".
In the process of revamping the government intends to increase on the current 27 general hospitals to 30 (with 3 more mother and child centres), have upgraded doctors' quarters at LASUTH, new one at Gbagada General Hospital, 300bed isolation centre in case of outbreak of epidemics, 10 more state of the art ambulances, improved training facilities for doctors among others.
"The blueprint particularly looks at the environment where the doctors work, the equipment they work with and the designs of the buildings of the quarters the medical officers live", says Abayomi
At the moment, the structures, some of which were rehabilitated last between 2004 and 2008 are in various states of dilapidation.
According to Prof. Abayomi, because the projects are capital intensive some would be finished in the present dispensation while those which cannot be completed won't have much challenge in being finished by succeeding administrations