Lagos launches clinic boat for urgent medical services on waterways

Lagos State Government, yesterday, launched a ‘floating clinic boat’; a fibreglass, mono hull boat 200HP x 2 capacity, for inland waterways medical emergency and riverine communities medical outreach services. This was introduced to increase access to prompt, qualitative and efficient healthcare services on the waterways and riverine communities across Lagos.

The floating clinic boat, a brainchild of the Lagos State Ministry of Health and Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), is equipped with four medical observation beds, a medium sterilisation unit, O2 bottle, a gauge, infusion stand, a foldable stretcher and a fully kitted first aid box.

The clinic boat, which is compartmentalised into four sections, including the wheelhouse (for captain and crew), observation room (for patients), doctor’s office and nurses station and reception has marine safety equipment, including life-jackets, fire bucket, life buoy, life rat fire extinguisher and navigational lights, as well as navigational equipment like garmin ecomap, compass, VHF radio accessories and siren.

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, at the unveiling and inspection of the boat clinic, said the idea behind the floating clinic was to help provide first aid, medical emergency care and basic healthcare services at accident scenes on the inland waterways and riverine communities in Lagos State.

He said that the floating clinic would be deployed for the ongoing integrated measles and COVID vaccination campaign in riverine communities and waterways across Lagos State, adding that it is part of a plan initiated by the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to ensure that emergency services are ramped up to the point where response time is reduced.

Also, General Manager, LASWA, Mr. Damilola Emmanuel, noted that the initiative would further add to the integrated emergency and rescue system put in place by LASWA to ensure the safety of commuters and the wellbeing of citizens of riverine communities.

“As you know, for us at LASWA, we have been gradually building emergency and rescue efforts and gradually seeing how the safety on the waterways keeps improving year after year. This is just another initiative to further add to the integrated emergency and rescue system.

“I used the word integrated because apart from the floating clinic, which will be attending to emergencies, we are going to have the core emergency team, which will be made up of divers, boat captain and medics on the core rescue boat, which LASWA will provide,” he said.