In this piece, SUBAIR MOHAMMED reports ongoing efforts by the Lagos State government in transforming the century-old Massey Children Hospital into the biggest pediatric facility in sub-Saharan West Africa.
Before ‘baby factory’ became something criminal to be ashamed of, a famous building on the Lagos Island had proudly answered to that appellation, because it was and is still the facility where millions of babies have been delivered and expectedly, many of them, have gone to become prominent Lagosians.
When Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu launched the remodeling of the over a century-year-old Massey Children’s Hospital located on Massey Street, Lagos Island, the excitement among aboriginal Lagosians and other settlers whose forebears had links with the historical pediatrics facility was infectious, considering their shared history with the facility, originally established by the colonial masters, to cater for their families and others.
Apart from its ‘baby factory’ nickname, the facility has another appellation. Lagosians of Isale-Eko background began calling it ‘Domisile’, (roughly translates pour water into the house), a corrupted Yoruba interpretation of ‘Domiciliary’, a name which the facility acquired, because at inception when it was separated from the General Hospital at Odan as the pediatrics section, only domiciliary nurses were being sent there to attend to pregnant women. To properly situate its ‘low beginning,’ Lagosians began calling the nurses ‘Domisile’ and the facility where they work finally acquired the appellation and came to be known as ‘Domisile’ hospital.
For those who wanted to be generous in acknowledging what the facility has been in the last one century to pregnant women and nursing mothers, the title of ‘baby factory’, was retained for it.
Whenever there is a case to be referred from the facility, Lagos Island General Hospital is said to always come to the rescue, which must have contributed greatly to the success story of the facility, which is now to have a new site, not far from the old building and parade what is being touted as the best of such facility anywhere in Africa, when completed.
The architectural masterpiece replacing the old building is like a reward for Massey Children’s Hospital, putting itself to the service of mother and child, in their millions, over the years, decades and more than a century.
While speaking on the rebuilding plan, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said it was a reflection of his administration’s commitment to bridge the gap in the health sector and also provide secondary integrated care services and acute care for both inpatients and outpatients in line with international best practices.
He said, “We are rebuilding, remodeling and repositioning Massey Children’s Hospital into a seven-storey, 150-bed, ultra-modern and fit-for-purpose pediatrics programmed and emergency general hospital.”
Built in 1914, the old Massey Children’s Hospital was transformed into a pediatrics hospital in 1961 and became the first General Outpatient Clinic and Referral Centre in the state with the capacity to admit approximately 1,500 babies annually.
His words: “The building is sitting on 4000 square meters; it is on a site of 14000 square meters and will be 150 beds, multidisciplinary specialist paediatric hospital, probably the only one of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“This hospital will take care of the welfare of children in Lagos as the old Massey Street has been doing. The facility is designed to treat all diseases that affect our children, to make sure we have healthy young children that will contribute to the economy of Lagos State.
“Moving forward, all new projects must have staff quarters and we should also retrospectively go backwards to our big hospitals that don’t have staff quarters to rectify the situation, which is the reason for this project, essentially to make our staff comfortable and retard the brain drain out of Nigeria, especially in Lagos State.”
Relishing the memories of the hours he spent visiting the old Massey Children’s Hospital during the birth and infancy years of his children, an octogenarian, Pa Rabiu Waheed said the Massey Hospital of those years was the best that could happen to parents of that era.
According to him, all his five children were born at the facility and received care at the children hospital with drugs given to them free of charge.
He added, “I did not have the faintest idea about the existence of private hospitals in the ‘70s and ‘80s because we had the best of public health facilities. The General Hospital was there for the adults and the Massey Hospital for our children.”
“Nobody would ever think of going to a private hospital because of the professional care being given to us at Massey. My first child is 45 years old. He has four other siblings and I had them at the Massey Hospital. Even when they were ill, they were taken there for treatment and the pediatricians and nurses were at their best to attend to health needs of the patients without making them pay a dime. We were meant to buy drugs that were not available at the hospital at the outside pharmacy.
“These are the areas I want the governor to look into, to prevent infant mortality that could arise as a result of denied access to quality health care.”
Ojikutu said, “Massey Hospital is a blessing to parents, not only on the island, but in Lagos State but I am afraid the facility may end up becoming an isolated hospital solely reserved for the rich and mighty while the downtrodden will be left to suffer the burden when the upgrade is completed. At the moment, we can always walk into the hospital because it is affordable and the quality of care is assured. That is why the name is light on the lips of many residents.”
It isn’t about revenue —Omotoso
Meanwhile, the state’s government has allayed the fear of the facility becoming too elitist after reconstruction.
Gbenga Omotoso, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, told Nigerian Tribune that the focus is on people’s welfare and not revenue. He said, “Lagosians are hailing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s vision in the conception of this project. The consideration is all about our people’s welfare, not revenue. All Sanwo-Olu’s projects are conceived with the people as the focus.”
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