The Lagos State House of Assembly in its proceedings has sought the upgrade of five general hospitals to tertiary level in the five divisions of the state.
The five general hospitals include; Badagry, Alimosho, Ikorodu, Epe and Lagos Island General hospitals.
The House made the resolution on the report presented by the Chairman House Committee on Health Services, Olusola Sokunle, representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2.
In the report, the Chairman said that “the committee went on an investigation to the general hospitals across the state to know the suitable hospitals that could be upgraded.”
Sokunle said that “the upgrading of the general hospitals would reduce the pressure witnessed by the facilities of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, calling for the establishment of the Renal and Neuro Department in the proposed five general hospitals.”
The lawmaker also called for the overhauling of the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) by the state government, stressing that Local governments should intensify awareness and sensitisation about the usefulness of the centres in the Councils.
Sokunle explained that the land mass, high-tech equipment and quality of the medical personnel were part of the considerations for choosing the five general hospitals.
Debating the report, Wahab Jimoh (Apapa 2), observed that there was need to consider other general hospitals within the Lagos Island Division, saying that general hospitals within the Lagos Mainland axis should be considered.
Jimoh argued that Lagos Island has been saturated with general hospitals that could attend to the medical needs of the people on the Island, adding that general hospitals in Surulere and Lagos Mainland could be considered for an upgrade.
The Chief Whip, Mojisola Meirada (Apapa 1), argued that aside from the establishment of renal departments in the upgraded general hospitals, there should be a trauma and bone department in each of them.
He said that it would help in reducing the pressure on the Gbagada hospital trauma facility.
Meanwhile, Moshood Oshun ( Lagos Mainland 2), made case for the establishment of more general hospitals across the state, saying instead of converting the five hospitals to a tertiary level more could be established to allow easy accessibility by the residents.
Oshun argued that the funds that could be used to upgrade the hospitals could be used to establish new general hospitals in the local governments.
The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, said that “there was need to sustain the glory of the five general hospitals by upgrading them to the tertiary level.”
Obasa said that there was also need to create synergy among general hospitals and collate data to know whether there is a need to establish a Renal Specialist hospital to address renal diseases.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
