LAGOS ASSEMBLY ADOPTS RECOMMENDATIONS ON PROPOSED TERTIARY HOSPITALS

ALIMOTU SHADIAT

Lagos lawmakers on Monday adopted the recommendations of the State Assembly’s Committee on Health Services on the proposal for the upgrade of some general hospitals to tertiary health institutions.

The Committee report and recommendations followed a fact-finding mission of its members to the general hospitals with a view to identifying the appropriate ones suitable for the upgrade.

Presenting the report on the floor of the House at plenary, Chairman of the committee, Hon. Hakeem Sokunle, listed some of the findings of the committee to include referral cases of renal and neurological issues from the general hospitals to the State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

He also said there was need to make the Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in the State more active.

In his contribution, Hon. Moshood Oshun, the representative of Mainland Constituency 2, suggested the building of more hospitals for proximity to residents.

However, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti-Osa Constituency 2) noted that the proposed upgrade of some of the secondary hospitals was to ease the pressure on LASUTH.

He added that the committee’s action was to ensure that the House approved the upgrade of some of the hospitals as earlier resolved by the members.

In his remarks, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, suggested that general hospitals like those in Ikorodu and Badagry established since the 1950s should benefit from the upgrade.

He also added that there must be regular sensitisation and synergy among general hospitals to make Primary Healthcare Centres more functional.

The recommendations of the Committee were adopted as the resolutions of the House following some amendments.

It would be recalled that the House at its plenary on Monday, 17th October, 2022 deliberated extensively on the current state of LASUTH being the only tertiary hospital in the State and mandated the Committee on Health Services to visit general hospitals and report its findings to the House.