Lagos pledges to bridge huge infrastructure gap in health sector

• Says new Massey Children’s Hospital will halt mortality
• Abiru seeks rehabilitation of Ikorodu-Sagamu, Itoikin-Epe roads

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said that despite the huge gap between infrastructure and resources in the health sector, the administration will raise standard and quality in the healthcare system.

Sanwo-Olu, who stated this, yesterday, during the official commissioning of the newly-installed health facilities and equipment at Gbagada General Hospital, said the state government would continue to ensure all Lagosians had access to quality healthcare.

The governor, who stated that though the facilities were set up to effectively address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, said the state was poised to increase its capacity to meet the estimated 220,000 units of blood required for its population, open child and maternal hospital in Epe, build infectious disease and research centre, mental hospital in Ikosi-Ejirin and currently renovating five general hospitals.

Also, speaking earlier at the flag-off of the construction of new Massey Children’s Hospital, Sanwo-Olu said the construction of the new hospital reflects the administration’s unwavering determination to improve the health sector.

He said the new and well-equipped Massey Children’s Hospital would also help to engender significant reduction in infant and maternal mortality.

IN another development, lawmaker representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Adetokunbo Abiru, has moved a motion for urgent rehabilitation of the Ikorodu/Sagamu and Ikorodu-Itoikin-Epe- Ijebu-Ode roads.

In the motion, Abiru appeal that critical roads connecting Ikorodu and other areas in Lagos East Zone to other areas of the country should be rehabilitated.

Abiru’s motion was in response to one of the requests by Lagos East constituents in the needs assessment conducted by the lawmaker during his campaign last year.

Lamenting the rate of causalities and loss of property due to frequent road crashes on the deplorable roads, Abiru said: “Mindful that the Ikorodu–Sagamu and Ikorodu-Itoikin-Epe roads are federal highways, there is urgent need for government to rehabilitate the roads to save live and property.”

He said the two roads serve as great commercial routes for South-West, South-South, and indeed the whole nation.