Lagos NMA hails CMD’s resilience after fire incident

The Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has hailed the resilience of Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Ago Medical Center, Dr Kola Afolabi over the recovery of the facility, following the fire that razed his hospital some months ago.

The state chapter gave the commendation when its chairman, Dr. Babajide Saheed led a delegation, including past leaders, paid a visit to the facility.

Saheed described Afolabi as “an icon of the medical profession,” whose ability to rebuild in a short period despite the harsh reality was commendable.

He noted that the visit was necessitated by the association’s duty to stand with members in distress, especially when such challenges affected their practice and livelihood.

“We must support our members whenever they are psychologically, financially, or professionally affected. When I heard of the fire that consumed the former hospital and saw that Dr. Afolabi and his wife had, in months, built a new facility, we decided to come and congratulate them and thank God for making this possible.

“It is not easy to lose a hospital to fire and rebuild so quickly in this economy,” he said.

The NMA boss disclosed that the coming Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association would intensify discussions on insurance and safety nets for doctors, particularly those with private hospitals.

According to him, the body is considering a Welfare Trust Fund to encourage members to embrace indemnity and property insurance packages, saying that it was important for practitioners to have both, given the risks associated with the profession.

Former chairman of the association, Dr. Tope Ojo, said the visit was a congratulatory and symbolic gesture, noting that Afolabi had served the medical community for decades, earning goodwill that enabled him to bounce back after the fire incident, which he described as tragic.

“The incident was tragic, but thankfully no life was lost. Within a short while, he was able to recover, largely due to the goodwill he had built with patients and colleagues over the years. Today’s visit is to celebrate him and to assure him that the association stands by him,” he said.

Ojo stressed that the experience should serve as a lesson for other medical practitioners to ensure not just their facilities but also their equipment and staff.

“Life insurance, property insurance, and indemnity cover should be encouraged. That way, when disasters occur, insurance companies will be compelled to pay damages promptly,” he said.

Responding, Dr. Afolabi expressed gratitude for the outpouring of solidarity from colleagues, describing such as overwhelming.

“I never expected this magnitude of support. Almost all the executives of Lagos NMA and some national officers came. I am very appreciative and deeply humbled,” he said.

The Ago Medical Center CMD explained that the fire incident was caused by an electrical surge, but added that the new facility had been fitted with a fire detection system to prevent a recurrence apart from being insured.

This was just as he revealed that despite the setback, the fire incident had accelerated his expansion plans.

“I had always planned to move into a bigger facility. Though painful, God made a way for us to acquire this place. We are now waiting for our insurance claims to come through so we can further develop the old site,” Dr. Afolabi said.