Lagos State General Hospitals and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) are currently providing free antenatal care and child delivery services to pregnant women resident in Lagos State as part of the rolled out relief measures announced by the State Government to cushion the hardship being faced by residents as a result of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.
This is contained in a statement from the Lagos State Ministry of Health signed by the Directo, Director, Public Affair, Mr Tunbosun Ogunbanwo.
Recall that the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, rising from the State’s Security Council meeting held on July 31, 2023, directed General Hospitals and PHCs to offer free ante-natal care and child delivery services; normal and cesarean section, to expectant mothers as part of announced relief measures to ease the burden of the fuel subsidy removal on Lagosian.
Governor Sanwo-Olu had earlier mentioned that his directive to the Lagos State Government owned primary and secondary health facilities to offer the free medical services is geared towards ensuring that the health of families are taken care of while easing them of the worry of financial constraints and increasing access to quality health care delivery in Lagos State.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye who carried out a compliance monitoring visits regarding the directive to some State hospitals including the Ifako-Ijaiye and Isolo General Hospitals over the weekend, noted that the implementation of the free ante-natal care and child delivery services as directed by the Governor will help improve maternal and child health indices in Lagos.
Ogboye who expressed satisfaction at the level of compliance to the free ante-natal and child delivery services in hospitals visited, explained that the Governor Sanwo-Olu led administration recognising the prime place of maternal and child health in the society thoughtfully issued the directive for free medical intervention to pregnant women to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal on expectant families.
In his words: “The Governor recognised that the cost of ante-natal care and child delivery services would add to the burden of fuel subsidy removal on cost of living for expectant parents, and this is why the governor announced the free medical intervention as part of the rolled out measures to ease off the burden.
Speaking in the same vein, the Medical Director of Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital, Dr. Bamidele Mustapha disclosed that the Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital complied with the free health intervention almost immediately, with no fewer than 30 people already benefiting from free ante-natal and child delivery services including cesarean sections, at no cost to the beneficiaries.
A beneficiary of the free child delivery service at the Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital, Mrs Oluwademilade Mustapha who delivered a baby boy through caesarian section lauded the free medical service initiative of the State Government. She thanked the team of medical staff who attended to her noting however that the attitude of the nurses who attended to her was excellent contrary to the opinion she had before coming to the hospital.
Another beneficiary, Mrs Eniola Samuel, who was also delivered a baby boy at the General Hospital, Isolo thanked God and the team of medical staff at the facility for saving her life from the complications she encountered during childbirth. She expressed satisfaction at the quality of healthcare she received free of charge. While appreciating the Governor of Lagos State for introducing the initiative, Samuel noted that the intervention helped save her life.
