Lagos State University Teaching Hospital:

The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital is based in Ikeja, Lagos and has over 960 staff. The hospital has one of the largest maternity units in the south western part of Nigeria and is the referral center of choice for all the primary and secondary government health facilities as well as a wide array of private hospitals.

Lagos State University Teaching Hospital’s challenge:

The Lagos State Government focuses on reducing mother and child mortality rates in lieu with the Millennium Goals challenges and the hospital is expected to deliver on this goal.

How GE overcame the challenge:

The hospital invited the private sector to assist in building, operating and managing a mother and child center and GE’s local partner Deux Project Limited, chose GE as its equipment supplier of choice. The project was initially a pilot, however, due to the successful outcome was expanded to nine sites across the Lagos metropolis.

Despite issues in securing accurate statistics and challenges in speedily receiving consumables, there’s indication that mother and child mortality rates are dropping. Community field health workers assist women, while free healthcare and pregnancy assistance has boosted awareness of women’s issues. GE is training local staff and engineers, transferring skills and knowledge to better manage the services to mother and child centers and offer frontline support.

Solution’s impact on Nigeria:

Home to 20-million people, the Lagos State’s human capital and revenues are key to Nigeria’s success and can be a trail-blazer for other states. In assisting the government to tackle mortality rates, GE is positively impacting on families and human dynamics. The country is addressing its power supply issues that significantly affect the operating costs for healthcare providers and GE has the technology to innovatively reduce costs.