Patients decry congestion at Alimosho General Hospital

Some patients in Alimosho General Hospital, Igando, Lagos State, on Monday decried the of bed space and accommodation at the hospital.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the hospital had few buildings and beds to accommodate the large number of patients thronging it on daily basis.
NAN investigation at the hospital showed that many patients were being attended to by medical teams outside the wards.
Some of them on emergency cases were given first aid treatment outside the wards, fore they were referred to another hospital, while those with minor cases were directed to other hospitals.
A diabetic patient, Mrs. Sabina Azubuike, who was on infusion outside the ward, said that she got to the hospital in a critical condition.

“When my husband brought me to the hospital this morning, they told us that there was no bed space for admission.
“But, when they saw my condition, they decided to give me drip outside the ward– on the chair– to stabilise my condition before referring me to another hospital,” Azubuike said.
The patient said that she was eventually given a referral to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
Azubuike’s referral, NAN reports, says, “Patient needs immediate attention, please admit, referred due to lack of bed space.”
Another patient, Mrs Juliana Oche, who brought her 12-year-old daughter to the hospital, said that she was given a referral to the Ikeja General Hospital.
“They did not even check my daughter when we came. They just gave us a letter to Ikeja General Hospital,” she said.
An official at the hospital, who pleaded anonymity, said that three pregnant women were delivered of their babies outside the labour rooms earlier in the day, due to congestion.
The official said that the hospital was attending to the residents of Ikotun, Ijegun, Igando, Isheri, Idimu, Egbeda, Okerube, Abaranje and Iba areas.
“Three pregnant women in labour came to the hospital. Because, there was no bed space in the labour room, the birth attendants were on ground to make sure they had safe delivery outside the ward.
“The general hospital is still new with few buildings, though there are acres of land and projects still going on to make it befitting for healthcare services,” he said.
The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Bolaji Adebiyi, confirmed the situation.
He said, “Alimosho is a highly populated area and the bed spaces available cannot accommodate the high number of patients from the area.
“It is true that most hospitals in Lagos State have shortage of bed spaces and it is simply due to over population.
“In Alimosho General Hospital, the bed spaces we have cannot take many patients.”
Adebiyi said that the state government was building another structure within the hospital, which would be inaugurated soon, to accommodate more patients.
“But, I can assure you that even the new structure cannot solve the problem due to over-population.
“The way forward is that people should start attending the Primary Health Centres in their communities to reduce the congestion and overcrowding at the General Hospital.
“Lagos State Government is doing everything possible to establish more and more Primary Health Centres to reduce the burden on the General Hospitals,” Adebiyi said.