Speeches

Commissioning Of The Maternal And Child Health Centre, Ajeromi General Hospital

Dec 1, 2011 - Today, I stand before you once again to fulfill our electoral promise of making life more meaningful for our people. Today, we bring the good tidings of safe delivery to our mothers and a healthy living to our children in Ajeromi area.

Today demonstrate to our people that not only does your Government have the capacity to reduce infant and maternal mortality, it has the imagination and determination to deliver improved healthcare for children and mothers.

Maternal and child health remained critical determinants of global and national health. Women of child-bearing age and the pediatric age group constitute a significant and vulnerable segment of the good people of Lagos State.

We cannot underplay the crucial and unequalled roles our mothers play in the nurturing and growth of our children and consequently, our nation. To this end, we will continue to strive for their utmost comfort and medical safety.

The Ajeromi Maternal and Child Centre that we officially hand over for public use today is the fourth of its type that our Government has delivered to the public.

It is a 110- (One Hundred and Ten) bed specially designed hospital for women and children, as a decisive response to the problems of access and distance in the way they compound the indices of infant and maternal mortality.

The first of this type of facility was delivered in Ikorodu, the second one was delivered in Isolo, and the third in Ifako Ijaiye.

The Maternal and Child Centers at Ikorodu, Isolo and Ifako Ijaiye were commissioned in the first quarter of the year 2010.

Throughout their first 21 months of operations, these three facilities recorded a total of 89,255 antenatal clinic attendances, 15,091 gynecologic clinic attendances and 121,549 pediatric clinic attendances out of which 5,335 children (4.4%) required hospitalization. Of the total of 9,689 deliveries conducted to date at the three facilities, 3,653 (38%) were Caesarean Sections.

Until your Government provided these facilities, women in labour who required special attention had to travel from Ikorodu, Isolo and Ifako Ijaiye all to Ayinke House in Ikeja.

Sometimes during this travel, complications occur in labour and the worst happens. We lose either the child, the mother or sometimes both.

Since we started building these centres, the story has changed. The incidence of death during labour has dropped significantly because the facilities in Ikorodu, Isolo and Ifako Ijaiye are serving their purpose.

Taxpayers' money is well spent, and even as we speak, Ayinke House is undergoing a major reconstruction with new equipment to bring it to the standards that we now have in these new centres.

This same type of facility is now ready for handover in Surulere, Amuwo Odofin and Alimosho, while the one in Ibjeu Lekki is under construction.

Interestingly, our Government has approved two more for Year 2012 to be located in Badagry and Epe and this will bring the number to 10 (Ten).

As I said, the Ajeromi Maternal and Child Centre is the fourth of these projects to be commissioned. The project was completed and opened to the public in July 2011.

Operations commenced on the 25th July 2011 and as at November 27, 2011 the records reflect antenatal clinic attendance of 2,116, gynecology clinic attendance of 783, and pediatric clinic attendance of 4,423. 254 out of the pediatric clientele required hospitalization.

This facility has recorded 254 deliveries inclusive of 94 Caesarean Sections and 31 gynecological surgeries.

It is my fervent hope that the availability of these services would complement other maternal and child survival strategies being implemented by the State.

I am confident that families, communities and leaders can be counted on to play their pivotal roles in the proper utilization of these unique facilities to provide the desired outcomes.

To the good people of Ajeromi-Ifelodun local government area, I say congratulations as we share this moment in history and pray that this centre will provide the expected succor to our mothers and children.

Indeed while we are confident that the trepidation of pregnancies will now be supplanted by the celebration of safe delivery and happy motherhood, we must remind ourselves that birth control and family planning is a responsibility that all of us must take seriously.

Our war against poverty will be difficult to win, if nothing is done to aggressively control our population growth. If we control the numbers, the feast will be plentiful.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure and privilege to formally commission the Maternal and Child Health Centre at Ajeromi General Hospital to the glory of God and the benefit of humanity.

I thank you all.

Eko o ni baje o!

BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOlA (SAN)
Governor of Lagos State