By Ayomide Otitoju
The Lagos State Government has intensified monitoring of major healthcare infrastructure projects as the 280-bed Ojo General Hospital nears completion and construction advances on the new 180-bed Somolu General Hospital.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this during an inspection of the two projects on Friday, saying the Ojo facility was about 85 per cent complete and expected to be ready for commissioning by the end of 2026 or the first quarter of 2027.
Abayomi, who was accompanied by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works, Dr Adekunle Olayinka, said the Ojo project had entered its finishing stage, with medical equipment and furniture already ordered.
“We are at the point where we’re doing the finishing touches. We’ve ordered the high-tech equipment. We’ve ordered the furniture,” Abayomi said.
He added that inspection visits would be conducted more frequently to ensure the project was completed according to the required standards.
At Somolu, the commissioner inspected the foundation of the new seven-floor, 180-bed multi-specialist hospital, which is about 15 per cent complete.
The project is being constructed on the former Somolu Local Government headquarters site following the relocation of the council administration.
Abayomi said the decision to construct a new hospital was based on the area’s large population and the limitations of the existing 60-bed facility.
He assured residents that the current Somolu General Hospital would continue providing clinical services while construction of the new facility continues.
“Instead of upgrading it, we decided to build a brand-new Somolu Hospital,” he said.
According to the commissioner, the existing hospital would eventually be demolished after the new facility becomes operational, with its site redeveloped for parking and other supporting services.
He disclosed that the new Somolu hospital would serve as a Head and Neck Super-Specialty Centre, offering Plastic Surgery, Maxillofacial Surgery, Ear, Nose and Throat, Ophthalmology and Dentistry, alongside Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics, and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Abayomi said the specialisation plan was part of the state’s strategy to transform general hospitals into centres of excellence with designated super-specialties.
He added that the initiative was aimed at expanding access to advanced medical care and reducing the need for Lagos residents to seek specialised treatment abroad.
“Over the next five to ten years, we believe that every kind of medical intervention will be available in Lagos in both the public and the private sector, so that outbound medical tourism will stop, and in fact, it will reverse,” he said.
The commissioner also said the new hospital designs incorporated renewable energy, low-carbon technologies, improved patient and staff movement, water catchment, sewage management and infection prevention measures.
He disclosed that about 107,000 registered patients currently access services at the Somolu facility, while its wider catchment population is estimated at between five and 10 million people.
Olayinka said the inspection confirmed that the Ojo project had reached about 85 per cent completion, while quality assurance teams had identified minor areas requiring correction by the contractor.
He said the solar installation at Ojo met the required specifications and would provide an alternative power source when the hospital becomes operational.
Olayinka added that the Somolu project, which faced some initial challenges, was now progressing after the issues were resolved.
The Somolu hospital is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2027, with modern engineering systems, green technologies, carbon-reduction measures and solar power incorporated into its design.
The inspection team included officials from the Ministry of Health’s Medical Project Implementation Unit, the Office of Works, Somolu General Hospital management, contractors and technical project management teams.
Abayomi said the infrastructure investments, alongside healthcare financing reforms, compulsory health insurance and the proposed University of Medicine and Health Sciences, would strengthen Lagos’ healthcare system and enhance the state’s position as a regional destination for specialised medical care.
