The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola today handed over the first trauma and burnt centre at the Gbagada General Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. Speaking at the event, the governor said the centre is equipped with facilities to handle first degree burns, adding that only few countries in Africa can boast of the level of facilities that the state has invested in the health sector.
He said he was fired-on by the need to set up the trauma and burnt centre after watching well trained doctors battling to give life to patience but were limited by lack of equipment. He explained that though the centre is small, it is nevertheless a pointer to the fact that government can be responsive to the need of the people.
Explaining the reason for delay in delivery date, Fashola said that government has to de-flood the whole of Gbagada in other to be able to build the structure adding that the road, leading to the facilities had to be built with concrete as a result of the terrain and to make it rugged.
He said that though the state has put in the best of facilities, the structure do not care but medical personnel adding that it is possible to make Lagos and indeed Nigeria the medical tourism of Africa if medical personal will go the extra mile to show real care for patients.
Fashola said that very soon the state government would commission the cardiac and kidney centre in thesame complex and that government would soon move into the area of health insurance scheme since the state cannot afford to foot the medical bill of complicated birth and surgical operations.
Earlier, the governor was also at the Yaba Industrial Estate where he promised to provide power to supply light to the complex in the interim before the state would embark on proper design of the fast deteriorating complex in line with the megacity dream of the state government.
In his opening remarks, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris said that the facility is staffed with consultants from all areas of specialisation to deliver optimum service to the populace.
