By Oluwaseyi Fadoro
Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), yesterday, donated two transport incubator ambulances and two portable Otoread Otoacoustic Emissions to four Lagos general hospitals.
The Lagos State first Lady, wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, while donating the items, noted that the donation will help mitigate high mortality rate of pre-term babies.
“Our main objective is to ensure that growing children and newborns in Lagos State hospitals are screened early for possible hearing defects for timely and effective management.”
“We decided to re-double our effort in this direction, in realisation of World Health Organisation’ disclosure that 60 percent of childhood hearing loss is preventable.
Ambode also said no effort would be spared, to achieve zero infant mortality in the state.
Mrs. Ambode noted that the transport incubator ambulance is specially designed to transport ‘pre-mature’ babies to standard medical facilities, equipped with Intensive Care Unit, ICU.
She also added that COWLSO will also continue its intervention in the hearing defect management as this donation initiative started long time ago.
She noted that members of the committee were touched by the high mortality rate of pre-term babies, occurring before they could access intensive care.
The transport incubators according to her, would provide a womb-like environment for the baby, with the right temperature and life-saving gadgets, to help the newborn hang unto life till it gets to the ICU.
She said: ‘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’.
In his address, the commissioner for health, Dr. Jide Idris, noted that the Ambode Administration has always promoted the use of appropriate modern technology for delivery of qualitative and affordable healthcare to the people.
According to him, ‘The donation of Transport Incubator Ambulance to two state general hospitals will help to reduce the neo-natal 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.
The commissioner urged the lucky beneficiary hospitals, to make good and optimal use of the modern equipment, towards achieving the health objectives of the state government.
The chairman of Lagos State Health Service Commission, Dr. Bayo Aderiye, represented by Dr. Oluwole Tokunbo, copiously 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.