Health
Dr Abimbola Mabogunje, the Medical Director of Massey Street Children’s Hospital, Lagos, on Tuesday, urged parents to seek early care for infants to avoid needless death.
Mabogunje, who spoke at a stakeholders’ forum, organised by the hospital, said that infant mortality rate in the country was still high.
She said: “Some of the major causes of infant mortality are poor antenatal care and delay in seeking care, either because the care givers don’t know the right thing to do or care is inaccessible for various reasons.
“The infant mortality rate in Nigeria is still unacceptably high at 74.2 deaths per 1,000 live births.
“Here in Massey, we recognise the need to collaborate with stakeholders and find ways of reducing these needless deaths.”
Mabogunje said that the stakeholders’ forum, tagged ‘Partnership for Excellent Service Delivery,’ was aimed at seeking public-private partnership to further upscale the services being rendered to ailing children.
“This forum is a service-charter stakeholders’ meeting, with people from all works of life, including parents of our young patients.
“It is put in place so that they can tell us what we are doing right; what we can do better and where we can improve, and to explain to them what we are also doing,” she said.
The medical director said that the hospital would continue to strive to be a foremost paediatric centre in West Africa, with the aim of offering world-class care to achieve excellent clinical outcomes.
She commended the state government for its efforts at ensuring effective and efficient healthcare delivery.
Mrs Joan Adeola, Director, Service Delivery in the Ministry of Health, said that the service charter was adopted by the state to improve on the services being rendered by all government-owned establishments.
Adeola, who also represented the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said that plans were already ongoing to move the hospital to another facility.
“The Lagos State government is very keen in ensuring that people get access to, not just health care, but quality service for optimal delivery.
“That is why you are all involved in this meeting today, so that the management of this hospital can also hear from you to help them improve on their services.
“Government is also planning to move this hospital to a better facility where we can serve you better,” she said.
NAN reports that Massey Street Children’s Hospital, established in 1914, is the oldest children’s hospital in the West African Sub-region. (NAN)
– Dec. 8, 2020 @ 19:14 GMT |
Tags: Medical Director advises parents Seek early care to avoid infant mortality
