Gbaja hands over 80-bed hospital, dialysis unit to LASG

The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Tuesday handed over an 80-bed hospital to the Lagos State Government which includes a paediatric unit and a dialysis centre.

The Femi Gbajabiamila General Hospital located in the Surulere area of Lagos State also includes a 300 KVA generator, a 100KVA solar generator as well as a borehole and water filtration system.

Speaking at the inauguration of the four-storey hospital, Gbajabiamila, who spent 20 years in the House of Representatives, said the project was just one of the many he had completed in the state as augmenting the efforts of the state government.

“The Femi Gbajabiamila General Hospital was conceived from the knowledge that a populous and growing metropolis such as Lagos cannot afford to be found wanting so far as access to quality health care is concerned. This structure is an addition to support the tremendous work the Lagos State government is doing in the area of healthcare access,” the former Speaker of the House said.

The President’s chief of staff also handed over the Femi Gbajabiamila Conference Centre to the Lagos State University and later inaugurated the expanded Babs Animashaun Street and Census Bridge; and the Sam Shonibare Community Development Centre in Surulere.

Gbajabiamila, who spent five full terms in the House of Representatives said as a lawmaker, he delivered about 250 roads and completed 15 stadiums.

“I am proud that we have constructed over 250 roads in selected federal constituencies in the state especially Surulere 1 and 2 constituencies and completed 15 mini stadia.

“We facilitated heavy investment in education and health care, including constructing and equipping over 20 ICT centres in public schools where children are taught computer programming and coding. We have provided a solar energy system to light up neighbourhoods and support commercial trades in our constituencies,” he added.

The former lawmaker urged those seeking public office to remember that the ultimate and highest legacy they can leave as public servants is in the evident improvements to the lives of the people they serve.

In his remarks, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, commended the President’s chief of staff for making the state proud and complementing the efforts of the state government.

Sanwo-Olu announced that the state had set in motion plans to establish a medical university before the end of the year.

The governor promised that the proposed medical university would be well equipped and would not only train but retain the best minds so that they would not be tempted to leave the country in search of greener pastures.

“The Lagos State Government will in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the NUC another university that will be called the Lagos State Medical University before the end of this year,” he said, adding that the state government aims to ensure that at least 1,500 doctors graduate from the proposed school yearly.

“This will also stem the trend of medical personnel leaving our country. We are not going to stop at ensuring that we provide the best facilities that will be able to retain our best talents here,” Sanwo-Olu added.