Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), led by the wife of the governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, has provided permanent solution to maternal and child mortality rate in the state by putting in place a functional and state of the art Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to address issues relating to post-child birth.
This is also as the Committee made available neo-natal hearing screening equipment at four general hospitals of the state – Gbagada, Ikorodu, Badagry and Ifako-Ijaiye.
The ICU, which is situated at the state’s Maternity Hospital, Lagos Island, took a new status following its upgrade by COWLSO as part of the Committee’s health intervention in year 2017.
Speaking at the commissioning of the facilities, held at the premises of the hospital, COWLSO chairman, Mrs Ambode said the projects were carefully selected to complement the state government’s efforts at reducing maternal and child morbidity and mortality in the state, especially the less privileged, which is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals on health.
According to the chairman, the drive to combat maternal mortality rate in the state, though progressive success in this regard has been recorded, the need to completely put a stop to such cases must be maintained.
“There is the need to tackle un-booked ante-natal cases, which have become a major challenge in baby delivery process. Late referral of emergency baby delivery cases from traditional birth attendants and faith-based homes to government’s health facilities, had become a major challenge, requiring the services of an ICU, to save endangered mothers and their babies.
“Now and then, we hear of many pregnant women and their babies dying of conditions such as pregnancy-induced hypertension, convulsion or shock arising from post-delivery bleeding.
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“A good number of such cases come in extreme conditions, which without the existence of a well-equipped intensive care unit, death seems inevitable for the mother, baby or both,” the Lagos State First Lady said.
Mrs Ambode said the intervention in upgrading and strengthening the existing high dependency unit to an ultra-modern intensive care unit, to cope with increased number and complexity of emergency cases, has potential to save mothers and babies, as well as ease financial pressure on families that may need the services.
The upgraded equipment include Maquet Servo Air Ventilator, to support breathing of patients; Humidifier, to avoid vapour to the air of the ventilator; ICU beds; pressure relief mattress and pump; and portable and multi parameter monitors, to measure patients pulse, blood pressure and respiratory rate.
Others are volumetric infusion pump, to deliver intravenous fluid safely and accurately; portable suction unit, to clear fluid airways; blood fluid/warmer, to warm blood and fluid to make body temperature warm for safe delivery; and automatic external defibrillator, to resuscitate patients who may suffer cardiac arrest.
“COWLSO in the present dispensation is fully committed to the Safe Motherhood Project and partnering the health facilities to ensure that no life is lost in pregnancy and during delivery,” she said.
On the neo-natal hearing screening, Mrs Ambode, while reviewing 2016 COWLSO health project, particularly the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Unit of the General Hospital, which has also been upgraded, said the 2017 project consolidated on the previous year ENT intervention, with a target on preventing hearing impairment, which is neo-natal screening.
She said four OTOREAD OAE audio-logical instruments for detecting hearing loss in children have been deployed and 12 qualified health workers trained to handle the equipment.
The chairman averred that the consequences of not addressing hearing loss in children include difficulty in speech acquisition, delayed language development, social isolation, academic under achievement, higher risk injuries amongst others, adding that early examination through the neo-natal hearing screening is the most preventive measure against such disability.
In his remarks, the state’s health commissioner Dr Jide Idris while appreciating the first lady and the Committee for the intervention, which he described as “evidence-based landmark projects”, said the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration has zero tolerance for maternal mortality.
“COWLSO, by upgrading equipment of the High Dependency Unit into an Intensive Care Unit in this baby factory, beautifully complements a number of existing interventions deployed by the state government to drastically reduce maternal mortality.”
The commissioner reiterated that the revamping of the audiology unit of the ENT clinic at the Lagos Island hospital last year by the Committee has had tremendous positive impact on residents with hearing impairment from cradle.
Also speaking, Chairman House Committee on Health Services, Hon Olusegun Olulade commended the gesture by COWLSO, urging the residents to take full advantage of the intervention.
Medical Director, Ikorodu General Hospital and representative of the four General Hospitals, which received the donated OTOREAD neo-natal equipment by COWLSO, Dr (Mrs) Funmi Bankole, said the action demonstrated by COWLSO showed that Mrs Ambode and her members compassionate about improving the welfare of children, secure their wellbeing and ultimately give them a better future.
