Ambode Commends New Lagos Hospital, Cedarcrest for professionalism

Dr. Kingsley Ekwe, Dr. Felix
Ogedegbe, Medical director,  Dr. Adedapo Olusanya,  Dr. Martina
Agberien, all of Cedarcrest Hospital  and Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi Etti,
Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment at the official
commissioning of Cedarcrest
 expansive hospital complex in Lagos last weekend.

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has commended the
management of Cedarcrest Hospitals
for establishing a branch of the hospital in Lagos. Governor Ambode
made the commendation at the official commissioning of the hospital situated on
Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The Governor, who was the special
guest of honour, was represented by the state Commissioner for Wealth Creation
and Employment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi
Etti, who stated that the
establishment of an arm of the hospital in Lagos
aligns with the “strategic road map of the
administration”
which has the health and welfare of all its citizens at
heart.

Governor Akiwunmi Ambode of Lagos State

He enjoined Lagosians to take advantage of the qualitative healthcare
delivery that the hospital, through its specialized services, is bringing to
the state.

Also speaking at the commissioning,
the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr.
Felix
Ogedegbe said the hospital
has played a critical role in saving Nigeria
foreign exchange through the specialized services offers. This, he pointed
out, has reduced the number of Nigerians going to other countries for medical
tourism. Beyond that, he said Nigeria
now earns foreign exchange as patients from neighboring African countries now patronize the hospital.
“We have patients from neighboring countries that come here
for treatment. Some patients previously operated abroad unsuccessfully, have
had to be re-operated here in Cedarcrest. Our operations in Abuja, Lagos and
Port Harcourt have catered for nearly 40,000 new patients and over 10,000
returning patients over the last 10years, saving the country huge amounts in
foreign exchange”.

Dr. Kingsley Ekwe, Dr. Felix
Ogedegbe, Medical director,  Dr. Adedapo Olusanya,  Dr. Martina
Agberien, all of Cedarcrest Hospital  and Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi Etti,
Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment at the official
commissioning of Cedarcrest
 expansive hospital complex in
Lagos last weekend

 He added that serving Nigerians
diligently is at the heart of what the hospital stands for. “As a result of our specialized services,
some Nigerians, who hitherto travel outside our shores, are now assured that
they can get the best here even though they have the resources to travel abroad
for treatment. We have worked tirelessly to change the perception Nigerian
patients have toward our local hospitals. Our business does not end in treating
the rich only; we look after all shades of Nigerians – rich and poor”.

He further said since inception in
2008, Cedarcrest hospitals have been
at the forefront of promoting the local availability of world class healthcare
to Nigerians. “Why really do our people
need to go abroad at great costs when we have the capacity to do so much at
home?”
Ogedegbe queried.
He pointed out that Cedarcrest has grown in leaps and bounds
from a mono-specialty 12 bed hospital in Garki,
Abuja. “We commenced operations in Port Harcourt working out of the Shell
Hospital in 2009, became multi-specialty in 2010 and opened the first Lagos
hospital in Ikeja in 2012. Today we boast of about 110 beds. Our flagship
purpose built is now 95% complete with trauma center, major radiologic
modalities including MRI, CT scan, digital X rays, bone densitometry, USS and
modern admission wards”
Furthermore, he added that it is
common practice to hear Nigerians castigating our hospitals for falling short
of expectations because of the problems inherent in the environment we work and
live in. Rather than bemoan the situation, he noted that Cedarcrest chose to take a holistic approach to providing quality
healthcare delivery that has earned it an enviable place in the health sector. “We make our own oxygen; we generate our
own air power and run multiple electrical backup systems for our equipment”.
He also revealed that the hospital
has also established a factory where prosthetic limbs would be produced here in
Nigeria. The facility will produce
prosthetic limbs in conjunction with Ottobock
of Germany
. “Our specialist reach now
includes orthopedic surgery neurosurgery, vascular surgery, interventional
radiology, eyes surgery, ENT surgery, general and gastrointestinal surgery,
general medicine, dermatology, cardiology, paediatric, and obstetrics and
gynecology, among others.”