Mary Nnah
Honourable Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has said that Lagos is presently under severe stress and strain of a third wave of COVID-19 as the state diagnoses between and hundred and three hundred cases every day.
Speaking during the official launch of an ultra-modern intravenous (i.v) fluids production factory near Sagamu, in Ogun State, by Med-In Pharmaceuticals Limited, Abayomi revealed that the state’s estimation facilities were filing up.
The commissioner, who represented the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Sanwo-Olu, at the event, said Lagos State was creating more space to accommodate patients.
While appealing to the general public and neighbouring states to take precautions as that COVID-19 is not over, he added: “We have quite a long way to go and we do not know how many more waves we are going to experience, so it important that we stick to the non-pharmaceutical intervention and continue to build this kind of capacity, so that we have the indigenous capacity to be less vulnerable and more resilient to these kinds of shocks.”
He urged the public to stop hugging and shaking hands and maintain the elbow greetings, which he said is appropriate for this time. “COVID-19 is a contact contagion, so if you continue to shake someone’s hands, you are in a position of either transmitting or receiving the various.”
The 100,000 bottles per day facility located along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, near Sagamu Interchange, Sagamu, Ogun State, was officially inaugurated on Thursday, July 29, 2021, as part of the organisation’s effort to deepen access to locally manufactured intravenous fluids to increase access to quality healthcare for Nigerians, and significantly reduce foreign exchange expenditure on importations.
The construction of the facility, which commenced in 2010, was backed by the Bank of Industry (BOI) and further supported by Providus Bank to ensure that the quest to enhance quality healthcare delivery in the country remained obtainable.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of Med-In Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Tola Awosika, said, “Today’s milestone event is the result of years of consistency and deliberate efforts to deepen access to quality healthcare for Nigerians and to provide healthcare providers robust options, convenience, cost-effectiveness and ease of access in meeting the high demand for IV fluid products in the country.
“With a global market size valued at US$ 10.7 billion in 2020 and estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.9% from 2021 to 2028, we understand the demand in this ecosystem, and we are poised to satisfy the market.
“Our facility is one of the largest and most sophisticated in Nigeria with a capacity and readiness to deliver. We are committed to driving product quality through strict adherence to the principles of current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), regulatory and statutory requirements, and constant review of our systems to meet global standards.
