As part of efforts to stem overseas medical tourism by Nigerians, the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital ( LASUTH ), Ikeja, says it will soon begin full cardiac surgery.
The Chief Medical Director ( CMD ), Prof. Adewole Oke, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that the teaching hospital was striving to be the hub of qualitative healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
Lagos State University Teaching Hospital ( LASUTH ) doctors performing surgery.
Oke said the hospital was making effort to end the treatment of diseases that could be treated locally; hence, there it was ready to do its best.
“We have a government that is interested in the health sector; that is ready to move the sector forward. It has provided enough infrastructure and world class facilities.
“In other to complement the government’s efforts, we are also sharpening our skills to make sure that we provide world class services to make Lagos the hub of medical healthcare delivery.
“Not by the world of the mouth, LASUTH conducted five kidney transplants this week and two between yesterday and today without any expatriate. All the surgeons are LASUTH doctors.
“We have also done cardiac surgery (heart replacement) about six months ago with the aid of some foreign consultants, but soon we will stand on our own,’’ he said.
Oke said that with the world class facilities available in the teaching hospital, it was set to stand without any assistance from overseas as regards surgery.
“As it stands today, we can boast of first class infrastructure, hence, we can also provide first class services in terms of healthcare for Lagosians and Nigeria as whole.
“We hope to build on our kidney transplant experience for the cardiac. We have had seamless cardiac surgery first, but we want to cross our Ts and dot our Is on it.
“By next year, we should be able to stand on our own and perform the surgery locally without external help which I believe will help our system to grow.
“The doctors available at the hospital are up to the task, they are well equipped and trained with first class knowledge,’’ he said.
A joint report by World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nation Population Fund ( UNFPA ), United Nations Children Fund ( UNICEF ) and World Bank has said Nigeria recorded 58,000 maternal mortality in 2015.
The report was presented by Dr Olusola Odujinrin at the 2017 Annual Faculty Day Lecture by the Faculty of Public Health and Community Medicine, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.
The conference with the theme “Transition in Global Health Paradigms: What Hope for the Nigerian Women and Children?”, was held at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital ( LASUTH ), Ikeja.
The guest lecturer, Odujinrin said it was rather alarming to see Nigeria down the ladder of the Millennium Development Goals ( MDGs ) in spite of the abundance of its economic strength.
She identified the factors that contributed to the Maternal Mortality Rate ( MMR )as flawed government policies, education, culture, religion among others.
“It is most unfortunate that we are at this level of needless death as recorded by the international agencies where Nigerian women lost their lives to pregnancy and child related causes.
“The factors that contribute to this are diverse including education, culture, religion and lack of access to skilled health workers and necessary drugs.
“The prevalence also depend on several factors, including living in an urban or rural area, socio-economic status and geo-political zone.
“The most worrisome is the report from North-East where MMR is highest: 1,549/100,000 live births in comparison to the South-West zone where 165/100,000 was recorded,” she said.
Odujinrin said the MMR statistics from Nigeria needed to be given immediate attention, warning that the country might be on the brink.
“Currently, Nigeria has the second highest burden of maternal mortality in the world, and contributes about 15 per cent of the annual total global deaths which represent two per cent of the global population.
“The progress in reducing maternal ratio has been to slow. According to the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey ( NDHS ) reports for 2008 and 2013, Nigeria achieved practically no reduction in MMR.
“Lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes according to NDHS reports also showed practically no change in the year under review.
“With this we all need to join the vanguard in making Nigerian women life a meaning if we don’t want to be on the brink,” she said.
Odujinrin said poor medical facilities in Nigeria was a hindrance to the attainment of the MDG Project, adding that the country’s policy makers needed to “roll up their sleeves.”
“The overall contributions of poor quality of health services to the huge burden of MMR in Nigeria, as revealed in the various situation analyses and assessment is alarming.
“There is a need to tackle the huge challenges and perform better in the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) in relation to MMR under Goal 3.
“It is imperative that we have a national focus in providing quality health care facilities and our efforts be dedicated to ensuring high quality of care to our mothers and children.
“It is not that we are bereft of ideas, but we lack political will and financial commitment enough to tackle this menance. No amount is too much for the lives of mothers, newborn and children,” she said.
Prof. Tolu Odugbemi, the Chairman of the occasion, the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Prof Wale Oke were among other dignitaries who graced the occasion.
Lagosians risk death by instalments as laboratory tests reveal poisonous contents paraded as pure water
In this first of a two-part series, HANNAH OJO reports the result of the first 15 laboratory-tested sachet water samples randomly selected in the five divisions of Lagos. From the presence of pathogenic bacteria to coliform, high microbial levels, acidity and objectionable odour, the hygiene and safety status of many of the brands of ‘pure water’ consumed by the majority of Lagosians are questionable.
Lagosians may be killing themselves in instalment through the sachet water they drink, an investigation by The Nation has revealed. For three months, 30 sachet water brands popularly known as ‘pure water’ were randomly selected in the five divisions of Lagos. A laboratory test contracted to the University of Lagos Consult Limited examined the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of each sample, which were coded to conceal their brand names. A registered public analyst and chartered chemist from the University of Lagos’s chemistry department issued an analyst’s certificate on each sample, in accordance with the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN). The test ran from the month of May to August.
Out of the first batch of 15 sachet water samples analysed, only six met the recommended World Health Organisation (WHO) standard on potable water. The other nine showed a high level of contaminants ranging from the presence of pathogenic bacteria and faecal coliform to high microbial levels, objectionable odour and low pH (acidity), which falls short of the minimum WHO pH parameter of 6.50.
The names of the tested sachet water are Maja Water, Makus Water, Unilag Water, Haars Premium Water, Skord Water, Le Harmonious Water, David’s Key, Fizco Water, Dis Day Water, Clock Water, Austin Water, Vic Water, Ray Queen Water, Troven Water and Vida water.
Interpreting the health implications of the contaminants found in the tested water samples, a professor of Chemical Pathology at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof Oluwole Adedeji, stated that low pH in water represents acidity.
“pH is the concentration of hydrogen iron which represents acidity. The neutral pH is seven. Anything below seven is acidic. Anything above seven is basic and denotes alkalinity,” he said.
The consultant also described odour as a product of metabolism which shows some form of decay with grave implications for the human body if ingested through contaminated water.
Asked about the health implications of coliforms and other forms of pathogenic bacteria, he offered that the coliform count in potable water should not go beyond a certain percentage.
“Our intestines have what is called the resident coliform. But when immunity is reduced, they become a problem. Adding more from outside means exposing the body to higher risks of toxic effects, especially when a person is stressed,” he said.
At risk of diseases and terminal illnesses
A wheelbarrow pusher, hawking bags of sachet water in Lagos
Beyond water borne diseases such as typhoid, diarrhoea, cholera and hepatitis, drinking contaminated packaged water can also expose the body to carcinogenic agents, The Nation learnt. This happens when the polythene bag used to package the water is of low quality whilst being exposed to sunlight or stored in an unwholesome condition.
Findings revealed that the drive for-profit often makes many sachet water manufacturers patronise low-quality polyethene bags, which causes dissolution of chemical into the water.
“Most of these bags have pores. They have holes which may not be visible to the human eye, which allow some elements in the environment to diffuse gradually into the water. The chemicals can be very carcinogenic,” Prof Adedeji intoned as he connects poorly packaged sachet water with cancer and other terminal illnesses associated with the lungs, liver and the heart.
With the acute water shortage in Lagos owing to the inability of the state’s Water Corporation to supply potable water to the majority of residents, there is a high reliance on sachet water as a means of potable drinking water by over 70 per cent of the citizens.
In a twitter poll conducted by the reporter on potable drinking water source for Lagosians, 44 per cent of respondents chose sachet water as their source of potable water while 39 per cent chose boreholes. Another 12 per cent voted bottled water and the lowest vote stands at 6 per cent, representing those who source potable water from the Lagos State Water Corporation.
Majority of sachet water producers interviewed by The Nation source their water from boreholes. Although there are strident measures laid down by regulatory agencies such as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission; enforcement to these standards is not often adhered to, findings have revealed.
Kabir Ahmed, the chairman of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, an agency responsible for regulating water supply and wastewater management, told The Nation that indiscriminate sinking of boreholes and wells have negatively impacted on the quality of ground water in Lagos.
Ahmed said: “Underground, we have four aquifers of water. As we speak, the topmost aquifer has been polluted by human activities. As recent as 25 years ago, we used to fetch water from shallow wells in Lagos to drink. Now, water from that depth of 0-12m is not drinkable because it is practically impure.”
Lamenting the fact that many borehole drillers in the state use sub standard equipment which drips oil into the underground water, Ahmed further stated that sinking of soak-away and pit latrines close to a water source is responsible for the presence of coliform in some water sources across the state.
Cheap death channel
At N10 per sachet and N150 for 20 pieces, ‘pure’ water in Lagos appears a cheaper alternative to bottled water. A 75 cl bottled water sells between N50 and N100, depending on the brand. However, low costing sachet water might be a bait to a cheap death channel.
Data exclusively obtained by The Nation from the Lagos State Ministry of Health, showing the prevalence of water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid and cholera in the 25 general hospitals in Lagos, revealed higher rates of water-borne diseases in areas of the state faced with the most pressing cases of inadequate Water Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH) facilities. Such areas include Badagry, Ikorodu, Epe and Orile Agege.
In 2014, General Hospital Orile Agege recorded a total of 1,690 cases of typhoid fever and 3,213 cases of diarrhoea. The Ijede Health Centre recorded the highest cases of cholera with 48, followed by General Hospital Epe with 15 cases. Also, in the year under review, The Massey Children Hospital also recorded 2,612 cases of diarrhoea while the General Hospital, Epe treated 893 patients out of a total diarrhoea prevalence rate of 12,413 in 2014.
Diarrhoea prevalence rate in Nigeria, put at 18.8 per cent, is one of the worst in sub-Sahara Africa.
Although data from 2015 and 2016 showed a slight reduction in the prevalence of water borne diseases in the state, local government areas such as Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry recorded highest prevalence rates.
The Orile Agege area, which follows closely, is one of the most densely populated urban slums in Lagos. Also, areas such as Epe and Badagry are urban isolated bubbles in Lagos where manufacturing of counterfeited sachet water is common. While the results of the tests of the sachet water samples selected in Ikorodu recorded cases of contamination with acidity, those of Epe and Badagry are being awaited and would be published in the second series of this report next Saturday.
Shocking source of unhealthy sachet water
Poster of “best water practices” at the entrance of UNILAG water factory
The most shocking results of the scientifically tested sachet water samples were the one produced by UNILAG, which recorded the presence of coliform and high microbial load on two separate occasions. On May 15, our reporter purchased three sachets of UNILAG’s water at the Iya Ibeji store located at the campus shuttle park. Another set of samples of sachet water purchased from the same outlet on August 1 and subjected to laboratory test showed the presence of high microbial loads, with the analyst recommending that the water should be treated to make it potable.
Confronted with the result, officials of the university debunked the claim, saying the tested water samples selected could be counterfeited products smuggled into the campus illegally.
The University’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Toyin Adebule, told our correspondent that the university had been having a running battle with fake sachet water producers who counterfeited the university’s brand.
Adebule said: “Our Department of Chemistry on a weekly basis conducts quality assurance test on UNILAG water. There is fake UNILAG water around, and the authority is clamping down on the perpetrators.”
The Nation paid a visit to the UNILAG factory penultimate Wednesday. At the door post, a banner displaying good water storage practices greets visitors.
The UNILAG water factory which started in 1995 was privatised recently and is now managed by the University of Lagos Holding Company Limited.
Speaking with our correspondent, the General Manager of UNILAG Ventures, Mrs Oyewunmi Onanuga said: “We challenge anyone with claims to contamination of our water to buy directly from our factory and subject it to laboratory tests. Only last year, we had a case of adulterated UNILAG water counterfeited by some people.
“We also emphasise to retailers that storage condition is important. If the water is left under the sun, on the bare floor or stored for a period exceeding validity, then there could be the possibility of contamination.”
Another ironic twist also occurred with Troven Water, a sachet water brand sourced from the central cafeteria of the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja. Produced by Treasured Rocks Ventures, Troven Water, which also has an LWRC registration number, recorded a low pH of 6.20.
Damming verdict…pathogenic Faecal Coliform
The laboratory sample which recorded the most damning verdict was Fizco Water, produced by Akanji Ola and Sons, located in Mushin, a densely populated suburb of Lagos. A very popular brand in the area, the sample was selected at an open market in Mushin and taken to the lab on May 17. When the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics were analysed, it showed the presence of pathogenic bacteria totalling 1.50x 103, exceeding the WHO limits of 1.0×101 in threefold. Also, the total coliform count was 3.0×101, a far cry from the WHO recommended 0.00 limits. The acidity was also high at a record 5.60 against the WHO recommended a maximum of 6.50. Fizco Water is registered with NAFDAC registration number B1-5761L.
According to a study by the African Journal of Food Science and Technology, Faecal coliforms are bacteria found in the faecal material of humans and warm blooded animals. Diseases such as typhoid fever, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, dysentery and ear infections can be contracted from waters with a high faecal coliform count, the study further revealed. Faecal coliform bacteria can come from surface water through improperly treated wastewater.
Last month, there was an outbreak of diarrhoea in Lagos State where two people died and 25 others were quarantined. The incident occurred in Shomolu, the locale where Ray Queen Water, another brand contaminated with high acidity, was sourced from. Findings show that Shomolu/Bariga is also a hub for counterfeited sachet water.
NAFDAC investigates, urges proper storage of packaged water
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), regulates and controls the manufacture and distribution of food, drugs, chemicals, medical devices and packaged water.
A summary of the results of the first 15 samples was directed to be submitted to the pharmaco-vigilance arm of the agency. Also, NAFDAC ran a cross check on the registration status of the selected water samples. A particular brand, Vic Pure Water, produced by Kroxxing Ventures in Abule-Egba, was not in the agency’s record of registered sachet water producers, even though the sachet has the registration number C1-4773L boldly printed on it. Another brand, Dis Day Water, was registered as Oniks Water while Austin Water produced in Fatai Atere has an expired registration status.
NAFDAC’s director of Special Duties, Dr Abubakar Jimoh in a chat with The Nation cited storage and counterfeiting as reasons why packaged water registered by the agency may turn out to be contaminated.
Dr Jimoh said; “Even if a product is registered but it is stored in bad condition, it will return as poison. Bottled water has a life span of one year and sachet water is two months.
“Secondly, the fact that a water company carries a NAFDAC registration number does not mean it is registered. We have arrested printers who printed labels for those adulterating fast selling sachet water brands.
“Then the third layer is where the real owner of the product would be compliant when seeking registration but lower their standards once they get registered. We are also warning people not to buy packaged water from hawkers because of the exposure to the sun,” he submitted.
How corruption and multiple taxation affect quality of sachet water
Nothing gives the indication that Dame Clementina Ativie, the National President of the Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP), is a forceful woman until she took hold of the microphone to state the grievances of packaged water producers in Lagos at a stakeholders’ meeting on taxation and revenue generation, convened by the state’s Ministry of Finance on August 1.
She lamented the fact that water producers are vulnerable to tax and revenue collectors from both local government and state levels. The development, she said, is forcing many water producers to relocate to suburbs where there is ease of doing business. She hinted that multiple taxations could be the reason for low-quality sachet water in the state.
“Consultants and touts are used to threatening us both at the local government and state levels. As I speak, we have over 20 people all going for revenue collection from water producers. More than six agencies alone from the state’s Ministry of Environment, each with an independent letter, with the Lagos state government letter-headed paper.
“Ninety-nine per cent of the money goes into private pockets because there are no receipts. When government says pay N5,000, the touts will tell you, ‘Give us N2000 and forget the balance.’ The N2,000 is not remitted to the state’s coffers.
“With the way things are going, those that can continue to pay will start cutting corners on the quality of water,” she said.
No respite for the poor
On a hot sunny day in Maryland, Lagos, John Nwordi, a pharmacist carries a fast food branded polyethene bag, heading back to work to have lunch after a hectic morning duty. Asked if he would wash down the food with sachet water, he gave a sharp retort; No!
Said John; “Gone are those days I drank sachet water. These days, I don’t. Some of the sachet water I have bought in the past had funny outlook and sometimes you’d see substances flying inside the sachet.”
Not far away, a teenager and aspiring rapper, Micheal Odion, flags down a sachet water Hawker. Asked if he’s not afraid of contamination, his response, “The blood of Jesus covers me!”
Odion’s response resonates with the thought of many Lagosians who hope for a spiritual force that will cover them from diseases after drinking sachet water. A purified water source is beyond the purchasing power of many Lagos residents.
Reporting for this story was supported by Code for Africa’s impactAFRICA fund and the Bill & Melinda Gate Foundation.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Apapa Family, on Sunday donated some sets of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) equipment to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.
The equipment include: four CR 5,000 ICU Beds, four Alpha Active 4 Mattresses, B-Braun Infusion Pumps, Syringe Pumps, Muliti-Parameter patient monitors and bedside lockers
The church had also refurbished and equipped the ICU in the Surgical Emergency section of the hospital.
The Head Pastor of RCCG, Apapa Family, Idowu Iluyomade, spoke at the inauguration of the units and handing over of the equipment.
Iluyomade said that the donation was part of the church’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
According to him, the church has been partnering the state government in the area of health, to ensure that quality healthcare is accessible to all that needed it.
“We believe that one of the duties of the church is to serve God and humanity; this is just another milestone in our corporate social responsibility projects.
“We have been serving the state, most especially, in the last 10 years; we have mobile clinics, hospitals and we feed people in the state.
“We want to ensure that the people are healthy and have good quality healthcare, “ he said.
In his response, the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Prof. Adewale Oke, said that the gesture should be emulated by well-meaning Nigerians.
Oke was represented by the Director, Clinical Services and Training, LASUTH, Dr Ayoade Adedokun.
“This huge donation made by RCCG, Apapa Family, to upgrade our ICU facility to a more conducive one is quite laudable.
“This humanitarian feat will assist tremendously in the management and treatment of patients,’’ Oke said.
He urged well-meaning Nigerians including NGOs, corporate organisations and individuals to partner the government in several areas of the hospital activities.
Oke said, “ For instance, there can be the expansion of some facilities that are currently on ground; this will encourage more people to come for treatment.
“There are many areas people can assist; for instance, in the area of kidney transplantation, well-meaning Nigerians can also come on board.
“There are many people who require this kind of service but are unable to pay for it,’’ he said.
Also speaking, the Head, Department of Anesthesia and ICU, LASUTH, Dr Adetinu Majekodunmi, said there was still the need to upgrade the facilities at the hospital’s ICU.
“Some of our equipment need to be upgraded and some structural changes made; the ventilators and monitors need to be upgraded and we need additional beds in the Critical Care Unit.
“The way forward is making sure that the equipment donated are serviced and maintained and other essential things needed to be put in the unit are provided for,’’ she said.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Health Service Commission, Dr Bayo Aderiye, said that government was addressing the area of human capacity as it was currently recruiting health personnel.
“The idea is to make sure all the hospitals have enough personnel so that the problem of shortage will be solved once and for all; it is a continuous exercise.
“Employing more personnel will help a lot in discipline; when workers are stressed or over worked, there is this human tendency to do some things they ought not to do, “ he said.
Akolade Arowolo, 34, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) youth pastor who killed his banker wife, Titilayo Omozoje at their residence, Akindeinde Street, Isolo, Lagos,is among 74 condemned prisoners seeking mercy under the prerogative of mercy conferred on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State under the constitution.
Aside from the condemned prisoners, there were also scores of those serving life sentences at kirikiri maximum prison, Lagos also seeking mercy of the state.
Arowolo, spotting a sky blue T-shirt over a blue jeans trouser with a low haircut, sat among condemned prisoners who were called out randomly by Prerogative of Mercy Committee led by Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo, set up by the governor to review their applications yesterday.
The committee was on a fact finding visit to Kirikiri Maximum Prison to have firsthand information of the inmates that are eligible for mercy and pardon.
Justice Lateefa Okunnu of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja sentenced Akolade to death having found him guilty of a one count charge murder of his wife, Titilayo preferred against him by the state government.
Foremost pathologist and Chief Medical Examiner at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), who was a witness during his trial, Professor John Obafunwa, had then testified that he “discovered at least 76 stab wounds resulting from the use of tremendous force on the chest, heart, lungs, liver, diaphragm, hands and other parts of the deceased’s body.
The chairman of the committee, Prof. Oyewo said that there are rules and guidelines that would guide the committee in the conduct of its work.
Prof. Oyewo said the committee would look at how heinous the crime committed was, whether the person cut his victim into pieces, how long he has spent in prison after conviction, whether he has truly repented and is remorseful and whether the society would accept that person.
He said a lot really depend on the family who is expected to give some undertaking and care for beneficiaries of prerogative of mercy as those who have no family to receive them mighty lose the opportunity.
He said assurance of lifer outside prison is for them to first reconcile with their family, asking for forgiveness adding “I want to see it in you. Let your works speak for you, the way you comport yourself and mind who you flock with”.
He however said that nobody on death row, life sentence or serving a long prison term should expect pardon immediately as there are different stages of prerogative of mercy.
Prof. Oyewo disclosed that the governor has approved the application for mercy of 18 prisoners whose cases were among those reviewed during their last visit to the prison facility.
Arowolo who delivered a remark on behalf of his fellow condemned inmates, pleaded for mercy stressing that they are all remorseful and have learnt from their mistakes.
“Your coming gave us a beacon of hope. I know that not everybody wrote application. Would there be opportunity for them? A lot of us have realized the wrongs that we did and having gone through the process of reformation, restoration and rehabilitation (3Rs), being faced with life and death, have held on to God that indeed we are wrong and plead that you give us a second chance”, he told the committee.
Deputy Controller, Kirikiri Maximum prison, Seye Oduntan thanked the committee for the visit which he said helped to reduce tension amongst the condemned prisoners.
Oduntan said that the prison was heated since last week following reports that government was considering execution of Reverend Chukwuemeka Ezeugo a.k.a. Reverend King whose death sentence was recently affirmed by the Supreme Court for the murder of one of his church members, Ann Uzor.
Four policemen attached to X Squad of the Lagos State Police Command have been killed after a lorry ran over their patrol van at Ikorodu.
It was gathered that the accident occurred Sunday afternoon along Shagamu Road, Isiwu, while the team was chasing another patrol van that allegedly extorted money from some motorists.
The X Squad team of five policemen including an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and an Inspector were in a Nissan frontier van marked NPF409D, but the registration number of the police vehicle they were chasing could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report.
While three of the policemen died on the spot, the Inspector passed on at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) where he was rushed to alongside the ASP.
According to the command’s spokesman, Olarinde Famous-Cole, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), the driver of the unregistered lorry fled the scene as soon as the accident occurred.
He said: “At about 1pm on Sunday, a team of Policemen attached to X Squad at the State Police Command while on surveillance and patrol duty along Isiwu road, Imota, Ikorodu were involved in a fatal motor accident leaving four police officers in the patrol truck dead.
“The police van had five policemen on-board and was allegedly hit by an unregistered 911 tipper and the driver, who could not be identified at the time of this report, fled the scene.
“It was disclosed that both vehicles were coming from opposite direction at a point near Isiwu town and they colluded, in the process three policemen died on the spot. As a result of that, traffic policemen were immediately dispatched to the scene. An ASP with an Inspector who sustained serious injuries were rushed to LASUTH, Ikeja, where the latter died and the former is currently admitted.
“Meanwhile, corpses have been deposited at General hospital Ikorodu and LASUTH, Ikeja for autopsy. The police patrol truck and lorry have been towed to the division.
“Investigation is ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect.
The Lagos State Police Command mourns the death in active duty of its finest. The command would leave no stone unturned to bring justice to the lost souls.
“We appeal to the public to come forward with any useful information that would lead to the arrest and prosecution of the fleeing suspect and urge Lagosians to be very cautious while driving on our roads.”
A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of four men accused of kidnapping a traditional ruler, the Oniba of Iba town in Lagos, Friday told an Igbosere High Court, Lagos that the monarch’s wife was shot at least thrice.
Dr. Grace Ngozi Eke, a consultant surgeon from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) testified that the monarch’s wife, Olori Abosede Oseni, suffered four gunshot wounds from at least three bullets.
The Olori’s husband, Oba Goriola Oseni, was kidnapped from his palace at Iba last July 16.
First to fourth defendants Duba Furejo, Ododowo Isaiah, Reuben Anthony and Yerin Fresh were accused by the police of being behind the crime.
They police also alleged that they murdered a security guard, Sunday Eniola Okanlawon, a commercial motorcyclist, Joseph Okeke and also robbed the Olori of her mobile phone before shooting her several times.
At the commencement of trial yesterday, Mr Jide Martins, an Assistant Director of Public Prosecution, introduced Eke as the sixth prosecution witness.
Eke stated that her team, including several surgeons and other doctors, saw the Olori for the first time in the early hours of last July 17, suffering from life-threatening gunshot wounds.
“She was pale, restless and in shock. She had lost a lot of blood from her wounds, her blood pressure was low and she was very drowsy,” Ekeh said.
The wounds, she added, was likely caused by a penetrating bullet and two operations were carried out on the patient.
Eke said the Olori “could have died had treatment not been administered” and that the surgeries saved her from “immediate death” or “death in days” from an infection of the wounds.
Under cross-examination from counsel to the first, second and third defendants, G. O. Egwuaroje and fourth defendant’s counsel, Anthony Onwueze, Eke testified that the Olori’s wounds were three at the front and one at the back.
She said they were spherical in shape and more likely to have been caused by gunshot.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned trial till February 28.
The defendants were arraigned on October 24, on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, robbery, armed robbery, felony and kidnapping.
According to the charge, the offences contravened Sections 233, 230, 299, 297 (2) (b) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State C17, Vol 3 Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The Management, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, on Monday said it will continue to provide good welfare package for members of staff, to improve quality healthcare delivery in 2017.
LASUTH`s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Adewale Oke, said this in a statement in Lagos.
Oke said that the hospital’s achievements in the outgoing year could not have been without the dedication to duty by workers.
“We will continue to aspire to provide welfare to our members of staff and I will continue to have an open door policy so that when there are issues, the superior argument will always prevail.
“Management will work closely with the state Ministry of Health and the government to actualise the insurance scheme for Lagos that promises to enable Lagosians to access seamless and comprehensive medical care,“
Oke said some of the hospital`s achievements in 2016 included inaugurations, kidney transplant and free eye surgeries organised by donor agencies.
He said the successes recorded showed the willingness and passion of the government and health professionals to provide quality healthcare services to the public.
“The new Critical Care Unit building was commissioned by the representative of Gov. Akinwumi Ambode, Mr Tunji Bello, the Secretary to the State Government on July 15.
“Ambode commissioned, for use, Helicopter Landing Pad to facilitate patient evacuation to the hospital on Aug. 11.
“The Korean Vision Care carried out over 50 ophthalmic surgeries in 2015; this year, 2016, over 100 patients with eye defects were operated.
“Plans are underway to make this programme an annual event and possibly extend it to accommodate both in-service pieces of training locally and in South Korea.
“We successfully carried out cochlear implants for several patients with hearing defects and carried out another renal transplantation, “ he added.
The Chief Medical Director added that a new committee of the hospital was set up to improve the attitude of staff towards patients that visited the hospital.
He said, “the watchword, I must emphasise, is that patients should be treated as one would expect to be treated.
“The committee has been doing its rounds and correcting attitudes of staff where they have been found wanting.”
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday commissioned the first state-owned Helipad for medical emergencies in Nigeria at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, adding that the upgrading of the 247-bed and five Theatre Suits for pregnant women, popularly called Ayinke House, would be ready for use by 2017.
Governor Ambode, who also inspected medical facilities at the LASUTH complex, said as part of efforts to transform the health sector in the State for optimal performance, the Bola Tinubu Health and Diagnostic Centre will soon become operational, while approval had been granted for the rehabilitation, upgrade and bulk purchase of medical equipment required in 20 Secondary and 21 Primary health facilities across the State.
“This Helipad being commissioned today is a lifesaving asset and critical complement to the efficient functioning of this Unit and other emergency services being rendered by the State. The Helipad will also aid the movement of patients from remote areas where healthcare facilities to provide the level of emergency medicine required are not readily available.
“Over the years, we have witnessed emergency situations which require timely movement of victims to appropriate medical facilities. Keeping in mind that every minute matters in securing the lives of people involved in these incidents, the usual movement by road is not the best option in such situations. Helicopters have therefore become an efficient and reliable option which can only be made possible with the availability of helipads within the hospital environment.
“Given the status of LASUTH, as the State flagship tertiary health institution, offering referral services for other public and private medical institutions, it was obvious the helipad had to be located here,” the Governor said.
He recalled that barely a month ago, a 27-bed Critical Care Unit was commissioned in LASUTH to provide life and organ support system for critically ill patients who require intensive monitoring and post-operative treatment, adding that the Helipad would go a long way to facilitate medical evacuation and air ambulance transfer of patients to Trauma Centers.
According to Governor Ambode, the provision of the facilities were consistent with the commitment of his administration to raise the service delivery capacity of LASUTH and other health facilities in the State to international standards to save lives of the people.
He said aside the fact that government will intensify efforts to acquire an Air Ambulance to complete the cycle, the Helipad would be operated by specially trained personnel who will give 24-hour service, guarantee expert medical care during emergency transfer and safe landing at all times.
The Governor also said with the recent execution of a Memorandum of Understanding with selected investors, the State is on the verge of becoming a hub for medical tourism once the Medical Park at the old School of Nursing, Ikoyi comes on stream.
“With the support of our hardworking and dedicated personnel in the health sector, we are confident that we will achieve our set objectives in the health sector, save lives and guarantee a healthy State,” the Governor said.
The Governor, while inspecting the Intensive Care Unit, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences and the Ayinke House at LASUTH, also announced termination of contracts of all abandoned projects at the complex, saying that his administration would not allow such to happen any longer in the State.
Earlier, the State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris said by the commissioning of the Helipad, LASUTH was now on the verge of being elevated as level one Trauma Centre, adding that the Helipad was the first to be certified in the country for any State Government.
Also, the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Professor Adewale Oke said the Helipad was an eloquent confirmation that Governor Ambode is an achiever and deserved to be commended.
He also announced that Governor Ambode has directed that motorists should not be charged for parking at LASUTH.
