Five general hospitals in the state’s five divisions have been requested to be upgraded to tertiary level by members of the Lagos state House of Assembly.
The five general hospitals are those located in Badagry, Alimosho, Ikorodu, Epe, and Lagos Island.
After discussing the report provided by Hon. Olusola Sokunle, chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, the lawmakers passed the resolution on Monday.
In the report, the chairman stated that the committee visited general hospitals all around the state to gather information about which ones were appropriate for being raised to the tertiary level.
Sokunle said that the upgrading of the general hospitals would reduce the pressure witnessed by the facilities of the Lagos state University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), calling for the establishment of Renal and Neuro Department in the proposed five general hospitals.
He also called for the overhauling of the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) by the state government, adding that the local governments should intensify awareness and sensitisation about the usefulness of the centres in the Councils.
The Chairman explained that the land mass, high tech equipment and quality of the medical personnel were part of the consideration before the five general hospitals were chosen.
Debating the report, Hon. Wahab Jimoh (Apapa 2), observed that there was need to consider other general hospitals within the Lagos Island Division, saying that general hospital within the Lagos Mainland axis should be considered.
Jimoh argued that Lagos Island has been saturated with general hospitals that could attend to the medical needs of the people on the Island, adding that general hospitals in Surulere and Lagos Mainland could be considered for the upgrade.
The Chief Whip, Hon. Mojisola Meirada (Apapa 1), argued that aside the establishment of renal department in the upgraded general hospitals, there should be a trauma and bone department in each of them, saying that it would help in reducing the pressure on the Gbagada hospital trauma facility.
Meanwhile, Hon. Moshood Oshun ( Lagos Mainland 2), made case for the establishment of more general hospitals across the state, saying that instead of converting the five hospitals to tertiary level more could be established to allow easy accessibility by the residents.
Oshun argued that the funds that could be used to upgrade the hospitals could be used to establish new general hospitals in the local governments.
However, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, said that there was need to sustain the glory of the five general hospitals by upgrading them to tertiary level.
Obasa said that there was need to create synergy among general hospitals, saying that there was need to collate data to know whether there is need to establish Renal Specialist hospital to address renal diseases.
