The Medical Compound In Lagos
Sir: The Medical compound occupies a vantage and strategic geographical location in Lagos. It is a relatively vast land spanning through Jibowu to the end of Yaba bus stop, and, the tip of Herbert Macaulay at Jibowu to around Sabo market Yaba, Lagos.
The medical compound is the melting pot for almost all the medical institutions in the country hosting the World Health Organisation (WHO), NAFDAC, Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, School of Radiography, West African Drug Manufacturing Unit, National Agency for Medical Research, Federal Government quarters, and the Psychiatric Hospital amongst others.
Though instrumental to health education, medical research and development in the country, this convergent zone for all that is health also plays host to all sorts of health hazards to staff and occupants of government quarters that are working and resident in the area.
The main access road - "Edmund Crescent" and the abandoned land earlier planned for the Lagos Metro-Line are currently dotted with refuse dumps while the incessant burning or incineration of mounting infectious garbage constitute great health hazards such as respiratory and cardiac infections to adults and children living in that vicinity. Further to this are the nefarious activities of pick-pockets, areas boys and armed robbers who daily use the pang of darkness and the mounting garbage as a cover to mete out wickedness to their innumerable victims.
It is disheartening to note that this area that is supposed to be a citadel of learning to many medical personnel has degenerated to being valley of the shadow of death and mountains of health calamities to innocent citizens both old and young.
It becomes difficult to pin down either the federal or the state government to the unhealthy condition and unhygienic situation typical of this national health zone, yet both parties have great roles to play to salvage those whose live longevity is today put under great peril because those in position of authorities have left undone what they ought to be doing.
It is against this background that one is tempted to call on the Federal Ministry of Health, the Lagos State Government and even the Lagos Mainland Local Government to do something and thus salvage the medical compound to its previous glory and pride to our national health programmes and campaigns.
*Taiye Olaniyi,
Lagos.
