Dr. Jide Idris

By  Steve Dada

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, has stressed the need for well-meaning Nigerians and philanthropists to support the state government in its drive at ensuring the provision of qualitative health care delivery to the citizenry.

Idris who stated this in Lagos when he received an ambulance with the full complement of basic life support equipment package and other medical equipment, donated to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) by the Chief Emma Bishop Okonkwo Foundation, commended the gesture, especially against the background that government alone does not have the resources to meet the health needs of its citizens.

He said: “In the health sector, a lot of things are needed but there are limitations to how far we (government) can provide these things hence our call for partnership and support in overcoming our health challenges and meeting the health needs of our people”.

The commissioner called on others to emulate the kind gesture of the foundation and support the state government in providing qualitative, affordable and equitable health care services to the people.

“Let me assure you that the  equipment will be put into good and immediate use for the benefits of the people and I sincerely believe that may lives will be touched by these gesture. I hope that this will be the beginning of good partnership between us”, he said.

Earlier, the philanthropist, Chief Emma Bishop Okonkwo, had explained that his foundation decided to donate the ambulance and other medical equipment to LASUTH to ease government’s burden of providing qualitative basic health care services to the people.

“We appreciate the effort of the Lagos State Government at improving the quality of health services at all levels of care and we are not oblivious of the challenges its is facing in improving healthcare services. This is why we decided to support its noble course and associate ourselves with its efforts at ensuring that the people get the best health services in the State,” he said.

The donated items include an ambulance with the full complement of basic life support equipment package, three Intensive Care Unit beds, three fowler beds, plain beds, three attendant beds, four emergency recovery trolleys, three obstetric labour table, three obstetric labour examination tables, six bed side lockers, three over bed tables, six wheel chair folding, three hydraulic operating table, one crash cart, seven IV stand, one monitor trolley, two instrument trolleys and two dressing trolleys.

The full complement of basic life support in the ambulance are one reflective triangle kit, one medium size steel 02 cylinder, one oxygen cylinder wrench,, one spiracle oxygen regulator, one oxygen duffel, two aluminum oxygen cylinders, universal