ABAYOMI’S SWIFT INTERVENTION SAVES 30 STRANDED PREGNANT WOMEN AT LEKKI MOTHER AND CHILD HOSPITAL, SHOWS RESPONSIVE LEADERSHIP IN LAGOS HEALTH SECTOR
By Olayiwola Ibrahim // The prompt intervention of the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, on Tuesday, has been widely commended after he came to the rescue of more than 30 pregnant women who were stranded at the Mother and Child Hospital, Ogombo Road, Lekki.
The women, who had arrived as early as 6 a.m. seeking antenatal registration, were allegedly told by some administrative staff that the hospital could only register 45 patients, a policy they claimed had been in place for over a year.
The development left many of the expectant mothers frustrated, with some protesting and others leaving in tears after several failed attempts to access care.
According to the affected women, the restriction was enforced regardless of how early they arrived.
This is my third time coming here, and they will tell me that the number has reached 45 and I should go home, one of them lamented.
Another said, i am tired of coming here. They ask me to come early. I got here at 6:40 a.m., and they are telling me the number is finished.
The situation drew the attention of Prof. Abayomi, who immediately contacted the Managing Director of the hospital, Dr. Femi Aletan, and ordered that all the affected women be registered without delay.
Following the Commissioner’s directive, Dr. Aletan apologised to the women and summoned the hospital management to resolve the matter.
The management subsequently clarified that there was no official policy limiting registration to 45 patients, and directed nurses to register all the women present, even as the exercise extended till late afternoon.
A hospital official told the women: “We are very sorry for what happened here today. We didn’t say we will only attend to 45 people. Everyone here today will be registered.”
Stakeholders have described Prof. Abayomi’s action as a clear demonstration of responsive and people-centered governance, and a reassurance that the Lagos State Government under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is committed to accessible and humane healthcare delivery.
The incident also brought to the fore the broader challenges facing general hospitals across the state, particularly the shortage of healthcare workers occasioned by the mass exodus of medical professionals, popularly referred to as the ‘Japa syndrome’.
A doctor at the hospital, Dr. Sariki, and the MD, Dr. Aletan, both attributed the pressure on existing staff to inadequate workforce and accommodation challenges on the Island, calling on the government to sustain interventions such as staff housing and improved welfare packages to retain health workers.
Observers note that the Commissioner’s swift response not only resolved Tuesday’s incident but underscored the critical role of government oversight in protecting patients’ rights, improving communication between hospital staff and patients, and ensuring that administrative bottlenecks do not deny citizens access to essential maternal and child health services.
The Mother and Child Hospital, Lekki, built by the Lagos State Government to provide specialist maternal and infant care, remains one of the most patronized facilities in the Eti-Osa axis.
Residents say sustained government investment, staff motivation and monitoring will further strengthen public confidence in the state’s health system.
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