Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode on Wednesday said that no effort would be spared, to achieve zero infant mortality in the State.
She made the commitment during the donation of two transport incubator ambulance to Gbagada General Hospital and Lagos Island Maternity, by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), as part of their health intervention project for this year.
A transport incubator ambulance is specially designed to transport ‘pre-mature’ babies to standard medical facilities, equipped with Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
She said that members of the Committee were touched by the high mortality rate of pre-term babies, occurring before they could access intensive care.
The transport incubators according to her would provide a womb-like environment for the baby, with the right temperature and life-saving gadgets, to help the newborn hang unto life till it gets to the ICU.
She said, “The special ambulance can also be used to convey infants with severe post birth complications and others in serious emergency situations. The women of COWLSO reckon that with this intervention, many more newborns, infants and children in Lagos State, will be saved from avoidable deaths with attendant happiness to their parents”.
The Committee also donated two hearing defect management equipment, Portable Otoread OAEs, to Alimosho and Shomolu General Hospitals, also as part of their intervention effort.
Speaking further, she observed that COWLSO was constrained to continue its previous intervention in early detection and management of hearing defects, because of the serious consequences of hearing loss in children.
She recalled that the Committee, two years ago had upgraded the Ear, Nose and Throat Department of the Lagos Island General Hospital, Odan, subsequently followed with the donation of Portable Otoread OAEs equipment to Badagry, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikorodu and Gbagada General Hospital.
The objective, according to her, was to enable early screening of newborns for possible hearing defects, to eradicate the worrisome menace, which comes with a network of consequences like delayed language development, academic under performance, social isolation and higher risk injuries among others.
The Governor’s wife stressed that the incubator ambulance must be made available for use by other government hospitals.
In his address, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, noted that the Ambode Administration had always promoted the use of appropriate modern technology for delivery of qualitative and affordable healthcare to the people.
According to him, “the donation of Transport Incubator Ambulance to two State general hospitals will help to reduce the neo-natal morbidity and mortality indices of the state significantly”.
He commended the committee for their continual intervention in the healthcare sector, stressing that it had impacted lives, given hope to the downtrodden, empowered women and protected the environment in the State.
The Commissioner urged the lucky beneficiary hospitals, to make good and optimal use of the modern equipment, towards achieving the health objectives of the State Government.
Chairman of Lagos State Health Service Commission, Dr. Bayo Aderiye, represented by Dr. Oluwole Tokunbo, commended COWLSO for the series of health interventions over the years.
The Medical Directors of Gbagada General Hospital and Lagos Island Maternity, Dr. Tayo Lawal and Dr. Muyiwa Eniayewun, unanimously thanked COWLSO for the kind humanitarian gesture, noting that it had closed the gap of challenges in the health sector, as it affects children.
