Fresh facts have emerged that Lagos State General Hospitals and Primary Health Centres are currently providing free antenatal care and child delivery services to pregnant women resident in the state, as part of the rolled out relief measures announced by the state government to cushion the hardship being faced by residents as a result of fuel subsidy removal by the federal government.
Rising from the State’s Security Council meeting on Monday, July 31, 2023, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, directed the General Hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centres to offer free antenatal care and child delivery services; normal and cesarean section, to expectant mothers as part of announced relief measures to ease burden of the fuel subsidy removal on Lagosian.
The permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, who carried out a compliance monitoring visits on the directive to some state hospitals including the Ifako-Ijaiye and Isolo General Hospitals over the weekend, noted that the implementation of the free ante-natal care and child delivery services as directed by the governor will help improve maternal and child health indices in Lagos.
Ogboye who expressed satisfaction at the level of compliance to the free ante-natal and child delivery services in hospitals visited, said the Governor Sanwo-Olu-led administration recognizing the prime place of maternal and child health in the society thoughtfully issued the directive for free medical intervention to pregnant women to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal on expectant families.
“I am impressed by the level of compliance to Mr. Governor’s free ante-natal and child delivery service directive at the health facilities visited. Having gone round the ANC clinics, post-delivery wards and baby nurseries at the Ifako-Ijaiye and Isolo General Hospitals, it is heartwarming to see the smiles on the faces of newly born and their parents,’’ she said.
