OSSAP-SDG: 80- Bed Hospital Commissioned In LASU

An 80-bed healthcare centre was constructed for the usage of students and staffs from the Lagos State University, LASU, by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, OSSAP-SDG. During the inauguration of the hospital for use, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos governor, stated that the facility would meet the health care needs of the numerous students and staff within the institution.

Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, spoke during the commissioning of the healthcare centre and stated that the facility, as with other hospitals and primary healthcare Centres constructed and equipped by her Office across the country, is a clear demonstration of the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari government to address the health challenge in Nigeria.

She also added that the facility is proof of the bid to ensure Nigeria is not left behind in the race to achieve the SDG-3 on ‘Quality Health and Well-being for all’, as well as other cross-cutting SDGs. The presidential aide noted that health and well being are a cardinal part of the SDGs.

“Its centrality underscores the saying that health is wealth, and that a healthy people are a wealthy people. The inter-linkages of the goals suggest that with good health, there is a high tendency for economic growth which will in turn give room for reduction in hunger and poverty rate. With its commissioning today, the Primary Healthcare Centre, LASU joins other such facilities already delivered by the OSSAP-SDG, and are being put to good use to save lives across the country.”

She further noted that the 80 – bed Primary Healthcare Centre, LASU is fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including Intensive Care Unit, Operating Theatre, Laboratory, Blood Bank, Consultation Rooms, Emergency Ward as well as Male and Female Wards among other facilities. According to her, “These facilities are testament to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment in prioritizing policies and programmes with potential impact on the lives of the poor and vulnerable Nigerians. It is therefore expected that State government and the management of the institution will make judicious use of the Centre in a sustainable way for the benefit of the staff and students.”

Princess Orelope-Adefulire further added that her Office is committed to prioritizing key interventions with multiplier effects on multi-dimensional poverty, such as the provision of strategic healthcare. She pointed out that the OSSAP- SDGs had executed a number of strategic interventions across the 36 states and the FCT aimed at improving the health sector in Nigeria since 2016.

Between 2017 and 2020, OSSAP-SDGs has completed or about to complete the construction and equipping of a total of 34 number 120 Beds Mother and Child Centres; 16 number 80 Beds Ultra-Modern Hospitals; and 84 number Primary Healthcare Centres across the country among other numerous projects, while over 4,634 specialized hospital Beds were supplied to different Hospitals across the country.

In collaboration with Coca Cola and Medshare International, OSSAP-SDGs has launched the Safe Birth Initiative designed to support 10 selected tertiary level hospitals in the country with state of the art life-saving medical equipment and technical capacity building in order to reduce the maternal and child mortality ratio in Nigeria.