Lagos Renovates Ikeja Hospital

The Chief Medical Director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. David Oke, said the renovation of Ayinke Maternity House, Ikeja, became necessary to prevent disaster.

Oke told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday that the maternity building, donated to the Lagos State Government in1991 by the late Sir Mobolaji Bank-Anthony, had become structurally defective.

“The partial demolition and reconstruction of the building is because it had become structurally defective and could have caused great havoc to patients and staff had it been left that way.

“The building had become unsafe for anybody to stay in, therefore, a system was put in place by the hospital management to reconstruct it in order to avert any catastrophe,” he said.

He explained that the renovation of Ayinke House, located within LASUTH premises, would include the expansion of the entire facility and the building of new wards.

“The building had three wards before the reconstruction project but it would have some addition by the time the construction is completed,” Oke said.

The CMD, who did not say how much the project would cost, said the renovation, which commenced in December, would be completed in 18 months.

NAN reports that before the renovation, the hospital management moved the antenatal care department to the mother and childcare centres in Ifako-Ijaiye and Isolo General Hospitals to prevent a break in patients treatment.

The gynaecological services were moved to the old paediatric ward within LASUTH.

NAN reported that a trust fund, the Bank-Anthony Trust Fund, was saddled with the responsibility of maintaining the structure and a similar building donated to the Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos by the late philanthropist.

Oke said that the Lagos State Ministry of Works was supervising the renovation of building.

NAN observed that workmen of the project company, Marlum Nigeria Limited, were at the site, pulling down some parts of the building.

One of the project officers, Mr Sola Akintunde, told NAN that they were working endlessly to meet the 18-month target for the completion of work.

“We are trying our best to ensure that the new building is stronger and safer than the former structure,” he said.

However, no renovation work was going on at the Orthopedic Hospital when NAN visited the premises on Thursday.