Floating Clinic Boat For Emergency and Medical Outreach Services Launched in Lagos State
In an effort to improve access to prompt, high-quality, and effective health care services on the waterways and in riverine communities throughout Lagos, the Lagos State Government has launched a “Floating Clinic Boat,” a Fiber Glass, Mono Hull Boat with a 200HP x 2 capacity, for inland waterways medical emergencies and riverine communities medical outreach services.
The Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) created the floating clinic boat, which is furnished with four medical observation beds, a medium sterilization unit, an o2 bottle, a gauge, an infusion stand, a folding stretcher, and a fully stocked first aid kit.
The clinic boat, which is divided into four sections, including the wheel house (for the captain and crew), observation room (for patients), doctor’s office, nurses station, and reception, has navigational equipment like a garmin ecomap, compass, VHF radio accessories, siren, and marine safety equipment like life jackets, fire buckets, life buoys, and fire extinguishers in addition to life rat fire extinguishers and navigational lights.
The objective behind the Floating Clinic, according to Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, was to help give first aid, medical emergency care, and basic healthcare services at accident scenes on the inland waterways and riverine villages in Lagos State.
The primary purpose of the floating clinic, according to him, is to handle emergencies on waterways and offer outreach services to communities along rivers. This is a part of the Ministry of Health’s initiative to guarantee that we extend our medical and ambulance service to waterways, distant riverine settlements, and locations that can only be reached by boat. The boat technically belongs to LASWA but will be operated by the Ministry of Health, thus this is another instance of collaboration between various government organizations.
The Permanent Secretary observed that there will always be at least two medical professionals working in shifts on the Floating Clinic, and he added that residents of riverine areas can contact the clinic by calling the Lagos State Emergency lines.
“The clinic will be set up as soon as you call the emergency lines. The clinic may also be sent out by LASWA during an emergency reaction on a waterway. The emergency mechanism will be initiated if a call is received about an issue on a canal or in a remote or riverine area, he said.
