Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) has inaugurated the management board of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), with a mandate to ensure that the institution is smoothly, effectively, professionally and academically run.

Represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, the Governor recalled that the LASUTH, which was established in 2003, has hitherto functioned as a unit under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.

He said that the massive investment in the institution, the growing number of patients and the need for improved quality of care as reflected in the increasing number of petitions and cases of mismanagement informed the establishment of LASUTH.

Governor Fashola said both the past and present administrations had transformed the institution by undertaking its massive face-lift, thereby conferring on it a status befitting of a tertiary institution. He pointed out that there is added responsibility on the board to ensure that the institution is taken to greater heights

He said: "LASUTH can now boast of new and modern medical equipment, ultra-modern laboratory, critical care unit, new medical/surgical emergency wards, wards complex, dental centre, and ultra-modern theatre with sophisticated equipment, among others and managed by qualified and dedicated staff. Thus, it is the duty of the board to ensure that the lofty idea behind government’s investment in this regard is attained."

Fashola said that the institution has been accredited to run post-graduate residency training, having signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a German University in its quest for qualitative personnel development. He urged the 13-member board to rise up to the challenge of managing the institution effectively and efficiently. .

Responding on behalf of members of the new board, its chairman, Dr Nurudeen Olowopopo, said that his board will not only be in the forefront of government’s desire to improve the quality of health care delivery in Lagos State, but will also ensure that the best practices of health care are achieved.

To track and monitor the standard of operating procedures of both private and public blood banks in the state, the Lagos State Government has inaugurated a Technical Audit Committee to ensure that the product from blood banks are reliable.The committee is also to ensure that standard operating procedures are maintained at all times.

Speaking during the inauguration of the committee, the Chairman of Lagos State Blood Transfusion Services, Professor Ibironke Akinsete reiterated the state government’s resolve to tackle the issue of deaths due to lack of safe blood for transfusion, transmitting transmissible diseases and quacks operating in the blood banks.

Corroborating Akinsete’s position, the Executive Secretary of Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee, Dr Modupe Olaiya said that blood needs to be safe and available at all times. She added that blood is an important aspect of patients’ care and most efficient way of transmitting diseases, therefore, the source must be safe.

She, however, assured the state government that the Audit Committee will work hard to produce a credible result.

The Blood Bank Audit Committee which is designed to serve as quality control for all the blood banks in the state has Dr. Olaiya and Mr. Taiwo Oloko as the Chairman and the Secretary of the committee respectively. Other members are Dr. U.O. Oyekan, Dr. T.M. Balogun, Dr. B. Ifionu, Mrs. Olubunmi Ajala, Mrs. Olubukola Onadipe, Mrs. Rashidat Mecca and Mrs. Lola Alayande of Lagos State Blood Transfusion Services.

Meanwhile, training for developing guidelines and tools for the committee members is billed for the second week of November 2008, at the conference room of State Blood Transfusion Services. It is expected that members of the committee, representatives from both public and private blood banks, will attend the training programme.