Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has commissioned a ₦2 billion Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa trauma centre at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, to dramatically improve emergency care and reduce fatalities from road traffic accidents in Nigeria.
Senator Shettima, who spoke at the commissioning of the trauma centre to commemorate Asiwaju Sulaiman A. Adegunwa’s 80th birthday in Sagamu, said the trauma centre is coming up at a time the federal government is working assiduously to reposition our health care system.
Many dignitaries attended the commissioning of the trauma centre, including Minister of State for Health Dr Iziaq Salako, former governor Olusegun Osoba, Senator Gbenga Daniel, Senator Gbenga Kaka, Akarigbo Oba Babatunde Ajayi, paramount ruler of Remo land, and members of the Ogun State House of Assembly.
Senator Shettima stated that there can be no meaningful progress where health infrastructure is broken, where access to emergency care is a privilege, and where the poor are prized out of survival.
According to him, this belief has reinforced not only President Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s healthcare financing initiatives but also efforts to improve healthcare access, infrastructure, workforce training, and digital integration in Nigeria.
He stated that the Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Trauma Centre fits into President Tinubu’s vision of a health sector that works for all, especially in moments of distress, when accidents strike, when time is short, and when the difference between life and death is determined by the speed and quality of emergency intervention.
“We must not forget that in a nation facing rising urbanisation, motorisation, and industrial risk, trauma centres are no longer optional. It is essential. This is why this centre is not just a brick-and-mortar institution. It is a lifeline. It is a symbol of preparedness in a nation that cares. It is a sanctuary where the wounded can find healing and where families in distress can find hope,” he declared.
Senator Shettima, however, said the government alone cannot shoulder the healthcare system’s responsibility but urged more private sector players, philanthropists, foundations, and professionals to take a cue from what the Adegunwa family has done and invest in nation-building.
Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, who eulogised Asiwaju Sulaiman Adebola for his philanthropy, visionary leadership, and entrepreneurial excellence, said the trauma centre marks a significant milestone in the quest to strengthen Ogun State’s medical infrastructure and to complement ongoing efforts to reposition the health sector to enhance wellness and well-being, especially in trying times of global economic challenges.
“Today’s commissioning reflects our strong belief in public-private partnership as a viable path to sustainable development. This trauma centre is a clear illustration of what happens when visions like Chief Adegunwa collaborate with governments to create lasting solutions for society’s most urgent needs.”
Chief Medical Director of OOUTH, Sagamu, Dr Oluwabunmi Moturaya Fatungase, said the hospital attends to 2,000 trauma cases every month, and the 50-bedded donated trauma centre with state-of-the-art diagnostic facilities will now be for trauma cases, while the hospital’s former 20-bedded accidental emergency facility will now be for medical emergencies.
Dr Fatungase declared that trauma is inevitable, and nobody ever planned for it to happen; as such, it is important to have enough trauma facilities in different institutions and different geopolitical zones to cater for all cases.
“So, this is the place where they can get all the care they need, from head to toe. It is a one-stop trauma centre,” she added.
In his speech, Asiwaju Adegunwa, the Chairman of Rite Foods Limited, expressed gratitude to Shettima and Dapo Abiodun for their presence and commendation, as well as that of the hospital management, which has promised to effectively utilise the trauma centre.
“Today, I am filled with immense joy as I reflect on Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Trauma Centre as another fulfilment of opportunity to serve a higher calling to give and serve”, he said.
Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, in a remark, said the significance of this facility cannot be overstated, being strategically located in Shagamu, the intersection of two of the busiest motorways in Nigeria, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Shagamu-Ore Expressway that accounts for 41.5 per cent of road traffic accidents in Nigeria and 70 per cent of related fatalities within Ogun State.
“This trauma centre will dramatically improve our capacity to manage shorter cases, reduce fatality from road traffic accidents, and elevate the standard of emergency care in Ogun State and beyond,” Dr Coker added.
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