… As UK-Based Organisation Trains 40 Lagos Nurses on Immediate Life Support
Lagos State Government has received the donation of 10 automated external defibrillators (AED) valued at 15 million naira from Naijaid-UK, a non-profit organisation registered in the United Kingdom, for the improvement of emergency medical services in public health facilities in the State.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye received the AED donation on behalf of the Lagos State Government during a one-day Immediate Life Support (ILS) training programme organised by NaijaAid-UK for practising Lagos nurses drawn from public and private health facilities held at the Radisson Hotel, Ikeja.
Speaking on the donation and the ILS training, Ogboye noted that AEDs will help improve the basic life support services provided by health workers in public health facilities and during emergency medical services.
He explained that the medical devices donated by NaijaAid-UK will help the State Government provide immediate life support to those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, adding that the AED is a device that recognises ventricular fibrillation and other dysrhythmias and delivers an electric shock at the right time to save lives.
Ogboye, who was represented by the Director, Nursing Services, Mrs. Dorcas Shonibare at the event averred that it was in recognition of the invaluable role nurses play in providing medical emergency services both at the facility level and in emergencies that made the Lagos State Government partner with NaijaAid-UK to improve the capacity of nurses through the ILS training.
Ogboye reiterated the commitment of the Governor Sanwo-Olu Administration to put in place strategies geared towards building stronger local and global partnerships to meet the healthcare demands of the State whilst staying in tune with modern trends in healthcare service delivery.
While appreciating Naijaid-UK for the generous donation to the Lagos State Government, the Permanent Secretary stressed that Lagos State is open to productive collaborations that will enhance the provision of an efficient and sustainable health care service in Lagos.
He noted that the AEDs would be put to good use, urging nurses who benefited from the training to make the best out of what they have learnt and cascade the knowledge to their colleagues at the facility level.
Speaking in the same vein, Commissioner IV, Lagos State Health Service Commission, Mrs. Kemi Ogunyemi who was also at the event expressed delight at the donation and capacity-building workshop. She stressed the need for regular capacity-building programmes for health workers particularly nurses in Lagos State, adding that training will keep healthcare workers abreast of modern trends in efficient medical practice.
Ogunyemi appreciated Naijaid-UK for the productive partnership with the Lagos State Government, adding that the attainment of universal health coverage and provision of efficient and quality health services can only be achieved through collaborative effort.
Chief Executive Officer, Naijaid-UK and Founding Trustee, Dr. Lanre Nehan-Babalola explained that Naijaid-UK is a non-profit organisation that is committed to providing life-saving healthcare services to those in need. She added that Naijaid-UK carries out a public awareness programme, healthcare professional programme, medical outreach programme and medical equipment donation across the African continent.
Nehan-Babalola explains that the training session is targeted at supporting Nigerian Nurses in the management of patients as part of their Continuous Professional Development (CPD) to continue saving lives. She, however, commended the State Government through the Ministry of Health for creating an opportunity for a productive collaboration.
Dr. Folake Dawodu, a facilitator at the training stated that nurses must always be at their best in identifying and recognising deteriorating patients as most cardiac arrests are predictable, adding that hypoxemia and hypotension are common antecedents of the condition.
No fewer than 40 nurse executives drawn from public and private health facilities in Lagos State benefited from the immediate life support training sponsored by Naijaid-UK in partnership with the Lagos State Government.
It should be noted that an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable electronic device or machine that is used to treat cardiac arrest, a life-threatening condition where the heart suddenly stops beating properly. By sending an electric shock to the heart of a person in cardiac arrest, the AED restores a normal heart rhythm.
The multi-million naira AEDs donated by the Naijaid-UK is an automated voice prompt device which has electrode pads, batteries, capacitors and processors as some of its core components.
