LAGOS: Commissioner laments decaying infrastructure in teaching hospital

COMMISSIONER for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, has lamented the decaying level of infrastructure at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) regarding House Officers’ quarters, Ayinke House and the paediatrics building, promising to look into how to transform the hospital into a modern-day, purpose-built academic institution.

Speaking when he visited LASUTH to inspect ongoing projects and assess existing infrastructure in the hospital, Abayomi praised the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Adetokunbo O. Fabamwo, for effective management of the hospital despite the numerous challenges and constraints of recent events in the world.

While noting that the only way to address the infrastructure problem in LASUTH is to properly choose contractors to avoid lack of efficiency and maintenance, he said such contractors should be able to carry on with work in the face of bureaucratic challenges.

He also said that attention would be paid to energy-efficient buildings and glasshouses would not be built because when power fails, the whole building should not turn into an incubator.

He pledged to involve infrastructure facility managers in the design process to realise the energy-efficient buildings.

Abayomi admitted that there were major faults in the Ayinke House building; he said the building will need major rehabilitation, just as he promised to pay attention to the upcoming doctors’ quarters and the psychiatry building.

The commissioner also charged LASUTH and LASUCOM management to improve research and training of medical personnel, noting that infrastructure plays a prominent role in the training of personnel.

He, however, thanked them for availing him the privilege of tour of the hospital with a promise to revisit soon.

Earlier, Prof Fabamwo thanked the commissioner for the visit, saying that it will serve as an opportunity for him to observe some of the challenges facing the hospital and the need for infrastructure upgrade of the facility

The Board Chairman of LASUTH, Dr. Richardson Ajayi, emphasised that the facility is a fast-growing teaching hospital with modern infrastructure and expressed gratitude to the CMD for what he is doing in the hospital considering the many constraints and crises in the world right now.