By Angela Onwuzoo
In a move to reduce the high rate of foreign medical trips by Nigerians, Lagoon Hospitals has unveiled it’s newly acquired state-of-the-art medical equipment in advanced medical care aimed at offering quality healthcare services to Lagos residents and beyond in line with international best practices.
The ultimate aim of the ultra modern facility, according to the management of the foremost leading hospital in the country, is to ensure that we have a more efficient and quality service delivery in the health sector.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony held in Ikoyi, Lagos, the Chief Medical Director of Lagoon Hospitals, Dr Jimi Coker, said the hospital in its quest to utilize latest technology in providing quality healthcare services to patients, had made a significant investment in its critical care Urology, Neurosurgery and the new dialysis centre at its Ikoyi facility.
Coker, who is also Chief of Surgery of the hospital, noted that Lagoon Hospitals’ choice to invest massively in those new technologies was born out of the need to fill in the gaps within our country’s health care sector.
According to him, “it is a strategic decision by our hospital with the aim to reduce medical tourism especially the number of Nigerians leaving the country to seek such medical treatment abroad.
“The number of Nigerians leaving the country to seek such medical treatment abroad continues unabated with up to USD1 billion lost revenue to the Nigerian economy annually.”
Giving insight into the advancement of the hospital in medical care, the surgeon said: “Our story at Lagoon Hospitals dates back 33 years ago and it has always been our mission to break new grounds within the medical profession.
“Over the years, we have dedicated ourselves to delivering the highest standards of healthcare to all Nigerians and from Apapa, have expanded our operations to Ikeja, Victoria Island and Ikoyi.
“In our quest to utilize the latest technology, we recently made significant investment in our critical care, urology, neurosurgery and renal services at this Ikoyi facility.”
Coker further said: “Some of the latest equipment to be unveiled today includes the Holmium Laser machine and accessories for the minimally invasive treatment of kidney and ureteric stones along with latest equipment in the treatment for an enlarged prostrate condition like the bipolar prostate resectoscope, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria.
“Our Kinevo 900 advanced operating neurosurgical microscope, also the first of its kind in Nigeria, enables minimally invasive treatment of brain aneurysm and tumors along with spinal surgeries.
He revealed that following the relocation of their specialist services from Apapa to Ikoyi, the hospital had expanded its critical care unit to 12 beds which he said would provide multidisciplinary care for critically ill patients leveraging on the services of experienced intensive care physicians, surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists, among others.
To compliment those acute services, Coker added, “we have also established a dialysis unit for the treatment of kidney failure. These services will be carried out by skilled clinicians with several decades of international and local experience. With all of these, Lagoon Hospitals now have the largest fully equipped intensive care unit in Lagos.”
In his remarks, the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu represented by the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Health, Dr Titilayo Goncalves, said the state government would on its own part, give maximum support to the private sector in any form of technological advancement that would add value to the health sector.
Sanwo-Olu affirmed that the Lagos State government remained committed to the attainment of a sustainable health care delivery, as qualitative health care delivery is part of the administration’s priorities.
He however, congratulated the Lagoon Hospitals for investing heavily on the equipment and facilities aimed at saving lives, building the capacity of health workers and helping to curb medical tourism.
