Lagos Assembly Adopts Recommendations On Proposed Tertiary Hospitals

The members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have adopted the recommendations of its Committee on Health Services for the proposed upgrade of some general hospitals to tertiary health institutions.

Five general hospitals may benefit from the planned upgrade with the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, saying secondary health centres like the ones in Badagry and Ikorodu established since the 1950s should benefit.

The resolution was made after a deliberation on the report submitted by the Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, Olusola Sokunle.

In the report, the Chairman said that the committee went on a fact-finding mission to the general hospitals across the state to know the suitable hospitals that could be upgraded to tertiary institutions.

Sokunle said upgrading the general hospitals would reduce the pressure on the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

His committee also recommended the establishment of renal and neurological departments in the proposed upgraded hospitals.

The committee further recommended the overhauling of the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) by the state government with the local governments intensifying awareness and sensitisation about the usefulness of the centres.

According to Sokunle, land mass, high tech equipment and quality of medical personnel were part of the considerations by the committee.

However, 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 tertiary health institutions.

He stressed that synergy may be created among general hospitals adding that there must be regular sensitisation to make Primary Healthcare Centres more functional.

The Speaker further suggested the need for effective data collation for adequate information that could help determine if a Renal Specialist Hospital should be established.