Lagos resident praises emergency responders for saving seven-month-old daughter

A Lagos resident, Muhammad Armayau, has commended the Lagos State Government’s emergency response system for saving the life of his seven-month-old daughter after she developed a high fever in the early hours of the morning amid a heavy downpour.

Speaking with journalists on Monday, Armayau, who lives in Badagry, recounted how the family’s desperate search for help ended with a swift response from the state’s emergency services after they dialled the government’s toll-free 112 emergency line.

According to him, the baby had battled an elevated temperature for two days before her condition worsened in the middle of the night.

“My seven-month-old daughter developed a high fever after battling an elevated temperature for two days. When the thermometer read 38.5°C, panic set in. With heavy rain falling and no means of transportation, my wife and I tried to bring the fever down by gently wiping her with a wet towel while waiting for the rain to subside,” he said.

Armayau explained that at about 4:07 a.m., he contacted the emergency call centre, where the response officer immediately requested his address and a nearby landmark after hearing the baby crying in the background.

He said about 20 minutes later, officials called back to confirm that an ambulance had already been dispatched and worked with him to determine the best location for the crew to meet the family because of the darkness and poor road conditions.

“By 5:07 a.m., the rain had eased and I received another call informing me that the ambulance was waiting at Checkpoint Bus Stop. We quickly rode on a motorcycle to the location, where the ambulance team was already waiting,” he said.

After examining the child, the medical team transported her to General Hospital, Badagry, explaining that the nearest Primary Health Centre at Ilepo does not operate round the clock.

Armayau noted that the ambulance could not access his residence because the Ibiye–Checkpoint–Magbon Road had become impassable following the heavy rainfall.

He described the response as exceptional, noting that the ambulance travelled about 24 kilometres from General Hospital, Badagry, to attend to the emergency.

At the hospital, he said the baby received prompt medical attention. He paid ₦2,000 to open a patient file, ₦8,000 for laboratory tests, including a Full Blood Count (FBC) and malaria test, and about ₦4,000 for prescribed medication.

According to him, had the family’s Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme coverage still been active, the entire treatment would have cost only ₦1,400.

He stressed that apart from those charges, there were no consultation or ambulance fees, describing the experience as proof that taxpayer-funded public services can deliver quality healthcare when properly managed.

Armayau also praised the cleanliness of General Hospital, Badagry, and the professionalism of its healthcare workers.

While expressing appreciation to the Lagos State Emergency Response Team and frontline medical personnel, he appealed to the state government to rehabilitate the Ibiye–Checkpoint–Magbon Road, recruit more doctors for General Hospital, Badagry, upgrade the Ilepo Primary Health Centre into a 24-hour facility, improve electricity supply in the area and implement a unified electronic medical records system across government hospitals.

He also lauded ongoing infrastructure projects in Badagry, noting that better roads would significantly improve emergency response and save more lives.

Describing the experience as comparable to emergency services in developed countries, Armayau expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Government for its prompt intervention, saying the timely response made all the difference in saving his daughter’s life.