FIRST STATE OWNED HELIPAD!!

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday commissioned the first state-owned Helipad for medical emergencies in Nigeria at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja. He also promised that the upgrading of the 247-bed and five Theatre Suits for pregnant women, popularly called Ayinke House, would be ready for use by 2017. He said that the Helipad is a lifesaving asset, which is critical complement to the efficient functioning of emergency services being rendered by the State. "The Helipad will also aid the movement of patients from remote areas where healthcare facilities to provide the level of emergency medicine required are not readily available," he said. According to him, the state has witnessed emergency situations which require timely movement of victims to appropriate medical facilities over the years. "Every minute matters in securing the lives of people involved in these incidents, the usual movement by road is not the best option in such situations. Helicopters have therefore become an efficient and reliable option which can only be made possible with the availability of helipads within the hospital environment," Ambode stated. “Given the status of LASUTH, as the State flagship tertiary health institution, offering referral services for other public and private medical institutions, it was obvious the helipad had to be located here,” the Governor said.