By; MATTHEW UKACHUNWA, Lagos
The ongoing construction of the 280-bed Ojo General Hospital which was started by Lagos State government over a year ago will be completed in the next nine months.
The State’s Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi disclosed this on Wednesday during an inspection tour of the project site.
He said that the secondary health facility located at the heart of Ojo Local Government Area would be completed and delivered in nine months.
Abayomi stated that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is committed to the prompt delivery of the Ojo General Hospital in record time in order to improve access to quality and efficient health care services in Ojo local government and neighboring communities.
He added that the hospital, when completed, will provide health care services to over two million citizens within its catchment area in tandem with the State Government’s efforts to achieve universal health coverage.
Abayomi explained that facilities in the hospital have been carefully designed with special attention to low carbon footprint as well as the functionality flow for patients and health workers within the facility.
He said: “Today the Ministry of Health is inspecting one of our major medical health projects; the Ojo General Hospital in Ojo LGA, which is part of Mr. Governor’s medical transformation agenda. With this project, we have paid special attention to design, functionality, carbon footprint and long term low carbon maintenance.
“So what we have also done with this project, is that right at the point of design, we have paid attention to the functionality; the flow of the patients and staff, and we have made sure that the construction is low carbon and when the project is completed, the design features will keep the building naturally as cool as possible”
Expressing satisfaction at the level of work done so far, the Commissioner disclosed that the hospital when delivered will be providing medical services in multiple specialties including Surgery, Medicine, Neurology, and Infectious Diseases amongst others.
He added that four units of medical staff quarters consisting of eight flats each are also being constructed for critical medical staff who will man the facility noting that this is furtherance of efforts to provide prompt and efficient health service delivery.
Abayomi noted that the inclusion of staff quarters in projects; to provide decent and comfortable accommodation for staff of the hospital speaks to the commitment of Governor Sanwo-Olu to the welfare and job satisfaction of health workers in Lagos State.
“The staff apartment will create an opportunity for us to keep our staff on ground. This is important for efficient service delivery and job satisfaction of our medical personnel”, He said.
Speaking on the choice of location for the facility, the Commissioner explained that the hospital has been strategically located in Ojo bordering critical public institutions like the Lagos State University Campus and the Ojo military cantonment.
He noted that the hospital will cover a wide area and bridge the gap for health service demand between the catchment area of Alimosho General Hospital and Badagry General Hospital with other catchment areas into the lagoon communities covering the Snake and Tin Can Islands.
“In the direction along the Badagry express road the nearest general hospital is Badagry, and by the north along Iba road, the nearest is Alimosho General Hospital, and if you go back into Lagos, the nearest is Amowo-Odofin MCC. So the Ojo General Hospital fills a big gap and will provide health care services to the teeming population of Ojo and communities around it.
“We have estimated that in another eight to nine months, we will be able to complete the project, and that is very good for us because there is a lot of demand in the community. We are also fortunate to be surrounded by the Ojo Army Cantonment which will improve security; you know how easy it is for flash events to happen but we are very happy that we have the Army surrounding us.”, He said.
Abayomi was accompanied on the facility inspection tour by the Director Health Care Planning Research and Statistics, Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide and staff of the Project Inspection Unit of the Ministry of Health.
