Itowolo Community Wants Abandoned Health Centre Finished

Residents of Itowolo Community in Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area, Lagos State, are calling on the state government to complete a stalled health centre in their area.

The residents are worried about the lack of a working healthcare facility nearby. They said this has made it hard to get medical help, especially in emergencies.

Our reporter visited the community on Wednesday and found out that the health centre's construction started about four years ago but was left unfinished at the foundation stage.

In separate interviews, residents expressed that the lack of a health facility has led to lost lives, as patients often have to be taken to hospitals outside the community.

A community leader, Saheed Adeoye, said the situation is tough for pregnant women. They must travel long distances for antenatal care and other medical services.

He said, "When the women are pregnant, they may be struggling to move from here to the nearby health centre, about 13km away, or the general hospital, also about 13km away, for antenatal care. But sometimes, when a woman wants to deliver, it turns into an emergency."

“When that emergency comes up, it’s a headache and it’s stressful. So, that is where we have the problem.”

Adeoye shared that some people have died while being taken to hospitals outside the community. He mentioned a man called Pastor Arowosola and a child known as Iya Transformer’s child.

He said, "When the case started at midnight, before his wife called people, before they rushed to the place, before they started looking for a vehicle to take him to the general hospital, and before moving to the general hospital, we lost him."

He added that another child died on the way to the general hospital.

“Before reaching the general hospital, the child, who was about eight or six years old, if I’m not mistaken, died,” he said.

The Baale of Itowolo Community, Chief Sikiru Aregbeshola, noted that the abandoned health centre was initiated by the local councillor.

However, he said the councillor should not be blamed for the project’s halt, explaining that finishing a health centre is bigger than what a councillor can handle.

Aregbeshola said, “One challenge we have is the health centre. About four years ago, construction of a health centre began, but it stopped abruptly.

“What we keep hearing is, ‘We are going to do it today,’ ‘construction will commence tomorrow,’ and ‘construction will continue next tomorrow.’ But we have only kept hoping that they will continue the construction of the health centre that was facilitated by the councillor representing us about four years ago.”

He mentioned that residents needing emergency treatment have to go to Ikorodu or Idiroko for healthcare.

“If there is an emergency for a pregnant woman or someone who is sick, we have to go to Ikorodu or Idiroko before they can access healthcare,” he said.

“Sometimes, before they get the patient to the hospital they are taking them to, some of the patients might have given up the ghost.”

A resident, Adebisi Egunjobi, said the lack of a nearby health facility has impacted many people, especially during late-night emergencies.

She explained that residents often depend on available vehicles to take patients to Ajegunle, Ikorodu, or Agric.

“It affects a lot of people. Even when the situation happens in the middle of the night, you have to rush people and look for a vehicle,” Egunjobi said.

“Even if you see somebody who has a vehicle, they have to go to Ikorodu or Agric. The nearest is Ajegunle. Some people, when there is no vehicle, will carry the patient and run; people will be running after them until they get to Ajegunle before they can receive medication.”

Egunjobi added that residents also travel outside the community for antenatal care.

“Everybody goes outside now. For example, there is a health centre at Ogolonto. People go to Ogolonto; they go to Ajegunle. There is a health centre there. So, people go outside for antenatal care,” she said.

She urged the state government to finish the abandoned health centre.

“I am appealing that they should help us here. We are part of Lagos State. The health centre is important. It affects a lot of people,” she said.

“We need that health centre. They should help us because they just made the structure there and it has been abandoned and delayed. The Lagos State Government should help us.”

Also sharing his thoughts, a youth leader in the community, Oladipupo Olatunji Olabode, said the lack of a health centre has made things tough for residents during emergencies.

He said, “We face flooding due to the opening of the dam every year, and also the health centre, because the next health centre to us is Epe. When there’s an emergency, there are a lot of complications in terms of moving the victim to the health centre.”

Olabode stressed that building a health centre in Itowolo would help residents access healthcare better.

“If we can get a health centre in this community, it will be very, very good for our people. We have a large number of residents in this community,” he said.

Meanwhile, the residents praised the LCDA authorities for the ongoing rebuilding of the community primary school, which was damaged by flooding.

Attempts to reach the Chairman of Ikorodu West LCDA, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, were unsuccessful as his phone was unreachable at the time of this report.