Ambode’s wife restates commitment to zero infant mortality

WIFE of Lagos State governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, has assured that no effort would be spared to achieve zero infant mortality in the state.

The governor’s wife gave this commitment on Wednesday while speaking at the Gbagada, where she donated two transport incubator ambulances to Gbagada General Hospital and Lagos Island Maternity on behalf of Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO).

A transport incubator ambulance is specially designed to transport ‘pre-mature’ babies to standard medical facilities, equipped with Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

According to her, the donation is part of COWLSO’s health intervention project for this year, saying that members of COWLSO were touched by the high mortality rate of pre-term babies, occurring before pregnant women in the state could access intensive care.

Mrs Ambode said the transport incubators would provide a womb-like environment for the baby, with the right temperature and life-saving gadgets, to help the newborn hang unto life until it gets to the ICU.

“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,” she said.

COWLSO 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, Mrs Ambode 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.

ALSO READ: Consumption of rotten tomatoes causes cancer, NAFDAC warns

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 underperformance, social isolation and higher risk injuries among others.

She stressed that the incubator ambulance must be made available for use by other government hospitals.

Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, in his address, noted that the Ambode Administration had always promoted the use of appropriate modern technology for delivery of qualitative and affordable health care to the people.

According to him, “The donation of Transport Incubator Ambulance to two state general hospitals will help to reduce the neonatal 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.

Dr Idris 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, 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.