Gbagada General Hospital gets dialysis machine, water beds

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The Gbagada General Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos, has received a hi-tech renal dialysis machine and 15 water beds with their accompaniment.

This is courtesy of First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Insurance and Rotary club, Lagos Palmgroove Estate Chapter respectively.

This, the hospital said, was a public-private-partnership (PPP) initiative of the Lagos State Government and the passion of hospital’s medical director (MD), Dr Tayo Lawal.

The MD said the machine will help the hospital retain its patients who are being referred to other hospitals, and as such allow the hospital to attend to as many patients as possible.

Besides, the hospital charges are the cheapest for the treatment of kidney problems.

This explains why there has been traffic to the centre, he added.

Lawal said it is a testament of the need for organisations to give back to the society, adding: “Nephrology Department will be better for it,” he said.

He said the machine and the Cardio Centre in the hospital are a testament to Lagos State Government’s resolve to focus on the health of Lagosians and a statement that health related issues can be treated in the state.

Head, Department of Medicine and the Nephrology, Gbagada General Hospital, Dr Olusegun Babafemi said the machine will help the hospital to continue to treat patients that come.

“It is cheap to maintain. The machine will help us to keep more patients alive that could not immediately afford the money for kidney transplant, which is the better alternative in the treatment of kidney failure and the partnership with FBN Insurance will help us treat the patients”, he added.

He said the machine is worth millions as it is new and will help the hospital maintain its pole status as it was the first dialysis center built by the Lagos State government in 1983.

The 15 water beds, he said, will help to cater for the needs of the patients.

“They will ‎help to prevent pressure sores that will lead to rotten bone if bedridden patients do not move occasionally as expected,” he said.

Dr Lawal calls for more donations from donor agencies and philanthropists to assist the Lagos state government in fully developing the hospital to international standards.

Lawal said there are many components that make up the hospital. They are cardiac arrest centre, heart surgery and transplant centre, and burns and trauma centre under the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and of course the traditional Gbagada.

He, however, enjoined any would-be donor to first ask for the needs of the hospital before donating anything as it would not augur well if it is given items that it does not need.

The President of the club, Mr Pradeep Pahalwani said the donation was made to the hospital after needs assessment report had been done.

“So, the Water beds met the needs of the hospital in caring for its bedridden patients,” he said.

Pahalwani said the donation would be a continuous one to develop the hospital as it is the mission of Rotary to improve lives wherever it is for the benefits of mankind.

Source: The Nation