Lagos acquires clinic boat for medical emergency, outreaches

Ogboye, in a statement issued by Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, Director, Public Affairs in the ministry, said that the initiative was in collaboration with the Lagos State Waterways (LASWA).

According to him, the effort is part of the ministry’s initiative to ensure the extension of medical and ambulance service to the waterways, remote riverine communities and areas that can only be accessed by water.

“LASWA has provided the boat, the crew and gas to run the boat; and the Ministry of Health will provide the human resources and medical consumables for health care provision,” he said.

Ogboye noted that the clinic boat would be deployed for the ongoing Integrated Measles and COVID-19 Vaccination campaign in riverine communities and waterways across the state.

He said it was part of the plan of the present administration to ensure that emergency services in Lagos are ramped up and response time reduced.

The permanent secretary said there are plans to expand and ensure sustainability of the initiative, adding that citizens in riverine communities should call the Lagos State Emergency numbers to gain access to the clinic.

“Once you contact the emergency numbers, the clinic will be deployed. LASWA can also deploy the clinic during emergency response on the waterways,” he said.

Also, Mr Damilola Emmanuel, General Manager, LASWA, noted that the initiative would strengthen the integrated emergency and rescue system of LASWA to ensure safety of commuters and wellbeing of citizens in the riverine communities.

“This is just another initiative to further add to the integrated emergency and rescue system because what we are going to do is to have our own core emergency and response boat in our jetties along with the soon to be launched control room.

“If you noticed, I used the word integrated because apart from the floating clinic which will be attending to emergencies.

“We are going to have the core emergency team which will be made up of divers, boat captain and medics on the core rescue boat which LASWA will provide,” he said.