After 29 years of abandonment, Ayinka House, the maternal and child health centre at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) has been completely refurbished and upgraded.
Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday unveiled the facility among other projects in Lagos.
Donated to the Lagos State government by late Sir Mobolaji Bank-Anthony in memory of his later mother; Alhaja Rabiatu Ayinke Aleshinloye-williams, hence the christened name “Ayinke House”, the facility was commissioned in 2000 as a first-class childbirth and maternal care centre in the health sector of Nigeria as well as first choice for expectant mothers. However, the facilities became over-stretched beyond capacity and then abandoned.
Though the State Government during the administration of the former Governor and the present Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, awarded the contract for the expansion and reconstruction of the facility, the project didn’t get the desired facelift after the expectation of his tenure.
“Today, seven years after the closure of the facility, ” Ambode, the governor of Lagos State explained during the unveiling, “the new edifice is now a 170-bed facility with five surgical theatres.
“It has 16-bed emergency care units with 3 organ support facilities, 30-bed special baby care unit, 5 neonatal intensive care units, a fully equipped laboratory with support services, laboratories and a blood bank.”
While the old Ayinke House, which at the time was the maternity hospital in Nigeria had 80-bed capacity with just one theatre, the newly commissioned 170 Bed-Space centre has 3 additional Side Laboratories Blood Bank, 30 incubators with automatic oxygen delivery capacity and neonatal life support.
Speaking further about the significance of Ayinka House, Ambode said the institution will be inimitable in the advancement of learning and research in the state.
“This institute is a major contribution to our education sector also; as it becomes a veritable platform for our medical students in the State University to enhance their exposure and experience with the top-class medical equipment provided”.
Addressing the media on the state of the facility, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris said that the rehabilitation, upgrade, expansion, equipping and installed IT system in the facility cost the State government about six billion naira.
He said that new Ayinke House, Ikeja, would have a positive impact on the workforce, productivity and economy of the country.
According to him, the facility is supposed to be the highest level of care with respect to maternal and child health in Lagos State.
“This place has five theatres, which is state-of-the-art; so you can do gynaecological and obstetric surgeries. So we are adding five theatres to the whole of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja. The idea is to provide those facilities where such problems can be dealt with and to reduce the mortality rates”.
“We also have laboratories for diagnosis facilities; we also have, because it is. Teaching setting, facilities for research and training for both residents and house officers, “the commissioner said.
Speaking in the same vein, the Chief Medical Director, LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, said that the government had in 2018 recruited a total of 250 additional staff for the new Anyike house.
Said he, “we have 21 consultant obstetricians and gynaecologists and about 30 resident doctors that are going to work here. This is a 170-bed hospital and it is going to be massive; it is going to be a lot of work, so we need a lot of hands on deck”.
In his remarks, the President, Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), Dr Oluwarotimi Akinola said that the new facility would increase the LASUTH’s capacity to offer gynaecology and obstetrics care.
According to him, the challenge that has faced maternal and child care has been inadequate capacity installed in the country.
“But as Ayinke is coming on stream, at least, we know that in Lagos, we are going to have that upper edge again which will substantially diminish the pressure on Island Maternity Hospital,“ Akinola said.
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