Press Releases

Our Preventive Healthcare Advocacy Has Yielded Good Results – Fashola

Feb 4, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Wednesday gave an overview of his administration’s healthcare programmes and declared that the State Government’s efforts on advocacy has yielded tremendous successes.

Governor Fashola, who spoke during a State Government organized dinner in honour of the 2009 Cardiac Mission (Open Heart Surgery) to Lagos State at Ikeja, said because of the advocacy, especially in the areas of hypertension and diabetes, which he described as silent killers in this part of the world, the number of people suffering the ailment in the State has reduced significantly.

According to Governor Fashola, “While we developed our curative capacities, we have strengthened our preventive healthcare strategies and capacities. We have begun to teach people how to modify their eating habits, the need to eat in a particular way, the need to exercise and to take short walks”. He added that the inclusion of pedestrian walk-paths in the design of roads in the State was in order to encourage people to exercise.

Going down memory lane Governor Fashola said the present Cardiac Mission in the State, started four years ago, when, as the Chief of Staff to former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he saw a letter in his mail box introducing the Gold Eagle Foundation and a Nigerian, Dr. Jonathan Nwiloh, who, according to the Governor, “wanted to give something back to Lagos”.

“This Nigerian whom God has truly blessed, a very successful Cardio-Thoracic Surgeon, said he wanted to embark on a mission with his colleagues to give something back to a place he calls home. All he wanted us to do was to provide an operating room and he was bringing in all the equipment. That, in summary, was the beginning of what has today become the Cardiac Mission”, the Governor said.

Stating the benefits the State has derived as a result of the intervention of the Mission in the last four years, Governor Fashola said apart from the number of people who have benefitted from the free Cardio-Thoracic surgery intervention in the State, the Mission has helped to build capacity that was not there before, pointing out that from the intervention of the Mission, the Government has established a Critical Care Unit (CCU) at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital which does not exist in any other Teaching Hospital in the country.

“We have attracted back home many of our people who, as a result of the absence of facilities to practice their profession, fled the country”, the Governor said, adding that today, the people are now here intervening and contributing their quota effectively in healthcare delivery of the State.

He thanked the Mission, and particularly, Dr. Nwiloh, for the initiative which he said has put Lagos State ahead of all other states in the country in terms of healthcare delivery and hoped that the Mission would continue to intervene in the Health Sector of the State even in advisory capacity.

The Governor also expressed gratitude to his colleagues in the State’s Executive Council for their support in making Lagos a destination of preference, adding that the mission of his administration was not a destination but a journey.

“Our mission in Lagos State today is not a destination. It is a journey and those of us who are privileged to embark on it will certainly not regret it. We will end up, hopefully as pioneers, pathfinders and builders, because, on the other side of the divide are those who passed on the opportunity. I believe very very strongly that the difference between success and failure is how we react to opportunities”, the Governor said.

Thanking the former Health Commissioner of the State, Dr. Leke Pitan who, according to the Governor, had initiated, nurtured and supervised the intervention to its maturity, Governor Fashola declared, “For me, I am humbly privileged to lead the team. I find men of great resource, women of intellect, women and men of uncommon passion who have decided to walk this journey with me. I thank you for your support so far”.

Responding, leader of the mission, Dr. Jonathan Nwiloh said the idea of the Mission was muted five years ago in Atlanta Georgia where Dr. Pitan, discussed the matter with him, adding that after making all the arrangements, the Mission took off in 2004.

“It has never been done anywhere in the country. The idea was to establish a Cardiac Unit in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and to empower the manpower”, the Cardio-Thoracic surgeon said, adding that the State Government has in all shown tremendous commitment to the Mission.

Praising Governor Fashola for continuing on the path of continuity with his immediate predecessor, Dr. Nwiloh said while the other three Missions were carried out with equipment from the United States, the fourth mission was carried out with equipment bought and installed by the Lagos State Government.

Thanking the health personnel of LASUTH who, according to him, rallied around the Mission members to ensure that they lacked nothing that they needed to help them in their work, the Mission leader declared, “Lagos State has demonstrated commitment. It has distinguished itself. It has set itself apart”, adding, “We will continue to partner with you and assist your Cardiac team”.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Toyin Hamzat, thanked the Mission for all the interventions which, according to him, has been very beneficial to the State and Nigeria and hoped that the local Cardiac team would soon take over while Dr. Jonathan Nwiloh would only come as Consultant.

Other members of the Mission were, Dennis Wolk, Marc Jean-Jacques, Princess Joy Nwiloh, Cassie Sklot, Misty Saker, Gregory Sind and Babaseyi Oyesola. They all received Shields of Recognition from the State Government.

Also in attendance were the Permanent Secretary in the Health Ministry, Dr. (Mrs.) Olatunji, Provost of LASUCOM, Professor John Obafunwa, the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Hon. Babatunde Ogala and an Action Congress chieftain, Ahaji Moshood Are, among other dignitaries.