By Oluwatope Lawanson
Lagos State Government has re-inaugurated the Isheri Primary Health Centre (PHC) built by the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy.
The government urged the academy to replicate healthcare revitalisation to other local government areas of the state.
The state’s Head of Service, Mr Olabode Agoro, made this known at the re-inauguration of the 50-bed PHC at Isheri on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the facility, which had been in a dilapidated state, was renovated by a non-governmental organisation, Team Impact.
Team Impact is a group of exceptional Fellows of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy.
Agoro said that the sustainable approach could be replicated across the state and beyond to create a ripple effect of improved health outcomes and stronger communities.
He said that the state government was ready to support the academy.
“This is a fantastic project, and with the support of the Mayoress of Ikosi-Isheri LCDA, Mrs Simiat Bada, this project has come into reality by the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy.
“They look at the areas that are doing great jobs, and they understood that the chairman was doing a lot of things in this area. That was the reason they have been able to embark on this project.
“What the academy has done here is fantastic because you saw how this facility was before and you have also seen it after; so, it speaks for itself,” he said.
The head of service urged the youth to emulate what the academy had done.
According to him, the academy took up projects and funded them for the benefit of the people of Lagos State.
He said: “I urge youths to join local governments, the state government or at the federal level because together they are the future.
“We need them in the system because we have to handover to somebody, so that developmental projects that would impact people’s lives can be promoted further.”
In her remarks, Bada commended the academy for the rehabilitation of the health facility for public use.
The chairman said that she knew how dilapidated the facility was, but could not embark on rehabilitation of all the PHCs in the council due to paucity of funds.
“However, they saw it from afar and were able to renovate this project that had been in a dilapidated state.
“I want to tell you that the council did not contribute any money for this laudable facility to be rehabilitated,” she said.
In his address of welcome, the Project Lead Team, Dr Michael Ogunkoya, said that the aim of the academy was to ensure that the PHC could provide high-quality and eco-friendly healthcare services.
He said that the primary health care would set a benchmark for other centres.
Ogunkoya said that economic challenges and high cost of healthcare forced many citizens to pay much, out of their pockets, for healthcare services, leading to inadequate access to quality care.
He said that the project was aimed to bridge the gaps by providing comprehensive and affordable healthcare services and facilitating large-scale health insurance registration.
Ogunkoya said the state government had made commendable strides in healthcare delivery.
He, however, said that there was room for improvement.
“By focusing on primary healthcare, we can relieve the pressure on higher-level healthcare facilities and provide immediate and effective care within our communities. NAN
