Sanwo-Olu Constructs New Massey Children Hospital Close To LAWMA Refuse Station

Close to the Lagos State Waste Management Agency’s refuse transfer loading station is the new seven-storey 150-bed Massey Street Children’s Hospital being constructed by the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration on Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos Island.

It was reported that during a visit to the construction site on Friday, the proposed children hospital is just a few metres from the LAWMA facility, which might cause environmental pollution to the would-be users of the hospital when completed .

During a visit to the site, refuse-laden LAWMA trucks were parked inside the facility, even as the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, stated that the LAWMA facility does not hold refuse.

Aside the proposed children hospital’s closeness to the refuse transfer loading station, findings also showed that there was heavy vehicular movements, with the attendant loud blaring of horns and loud calls for passengers, as well as heavy marketable activities such as street trading ongoing in the area, which might affect smooth access to the hospital, especially during emergency.

It was observed that the area is a den of the ubiquitous rascals and street urchins, who have been known as a threat to security in Lagos and may be a source of concerns to patients that seek care at the health facility when completed.

The construction of Massey Street Children’s Hospital, a 150-bed specialist facility for children in the state was inaugurated by Sanwolu on April 28.

The governor noted that the construction of the facility reflected his administration’s relentless determination to bridge all gaps in the health sector.

“The current Massey Children’s Hospital was established in 1914 as the First General Outpatient Clinic and Referral Centre in Lagos State. It was converted to a full-fledged Paediatrics Hospital in 1961,” Sanwo-Olu had said.

The number of cars parked on the road and the volume of trucks plying it as of the time of the visit were overwhelming, our correspondent reported.

Some residents of the area who spoke on the issue said that siting a children’s hospital in Adeniji Adele environ, being one of the heavy commercial areas in the state, is not ideal.

“You can see things for yourself. The hospital is close to a LAWMA facility that receives and transfers refuse on a daily basis.

“Apart from that, this area is too busy for a children’s hospital to be located. You have lots of vehicles parked on the road. We witness obstruction of traffic every now and then and you have a lot of miscreants in this environment,” a resident, Gbenga Ojo, told our correspondent during the visit.