Health and well-being are a cardinal part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It centrality underscores the saying that health is wealth, and that a healthy people are a wealthy people.
The interlinkages of the goals suggest that with good health, there is a high tendency for economic growth which will in turn give room for reduction in hunger and poverty rate.
It was in the light of this that the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) constructed and equipped an 80 Bed Primary Healthcare Centre in Lagos State University.
The Hospital was recently commissioned by the Governor of Lagos, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who also noted that the facility will provide the needed health care for the numerous students and staff within the institution.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire stated that the facility, as with other Hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centres constructed and equipped by her Office across the country, is a clear demonstration of the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari government to address the health challenge in Nigeria and this aspiration, according to her is in line with the spirit and intent of SDG-3 on ‘Quality Health and Well-being for all’, as well as other cross-cutting SDGs.
“With its commissioning today, the Primary Healthcare Centre, LASU joins other such facilities already delivered by OSSAP-SDGs, and are being put to good use to save lives across the country”. Princess Orelope-Adefulire stated.
The 80 Bed Primary Healthcare Centre, LASU is fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including Intensive Care Unit, Operating Theatre, Laboratory, Blood Bank and Consultation Rooms, Emergency Ward as well as Male and Female Wards among other facilities.
“These facilities are testament to President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment in prioritizing policies and programmes with potential impact on the lives of the poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
“It is therefore, expected that the Lagos State Government and the management of the institution will make judicious use of the Centre in a sustainable way for the benefit of the staff and students”, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire stated.
She added that her office “is committed to prioritizing key interventions with multiplier effects on multi-dimensional poverty, such as this strategic healthcare provisioning”.
In furtherance of her commitment to fast-track the achievement of the SDGs in Nigeria, since 2016, the OSSAP-SDGs has embarked on a number of strategic interventions across the 36 states and the FCT.
Between 2017 and 2020, OSSAP-SDGs has completed or about to complete the construction and equipping of thirty four 120 Beds Mother and Child Centres; 16 number 80 Beds Ultra-Modern Hospitals; and 84 number Primary Healthcare Centres across the country among other numerous projects, while over 4,634 specialized Hospital Beds were supplied to different Hospitals across the country.
Also, OSSAP-SDGs as part of the moves to help reduce maternal and child mortality ratio in Nigeria in conjunction with Coca-Cola and Medshare International launched the Safe Birth Initiative designed to support 10 selected tertiary level hospitals in the country with state of the art life-saving medical equipment and technical capacity building
