Sanwo-Olu celebrates arrival of 2024 first babies in four hospitals

In a heartwarming ceremony, in the early hours of today, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, welcomed and presented gifts items to the first babies of the year in four Lagos General Hospitals namely – Badagry General Hospital; Maternal Child Centre (MCC) Amuwo-Odofin; Ajeromi General Hospital and Apapa General Hospital.

Baby Echo-Harry, a Male who weighed 3.6Kg delivered at exactly 12:04AM by Mrs. Echo-Harry is the first baby of the year at the Badagry General Hospital. The first babies of year at the Maternal and Child Centre, Amuwo-Odofin are Twins delivered through Cesarean Section by Mrs Salaudeen. The first child, a Male, weighing 3.0Kg was delivered at exactly 12:07AM; the second child, also a Male who weighed 3.05Kg was delivered at 12:09AM

Baby Balogun, a Male who weighed 2.9Kg and delivered at 12:01AM by Mrs. Balogun is the first baby of the year at Ajeromi General Hospital, while the first babies of year at the Apapa General Hospital is Baby Rafiu Rachael a Male who weighed 2.6Kg and delivered at 12:38AM by Mrs. Rafiu Rachael.

Welcoming the first babies at these hospitals, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, expressed joy and gratitude at the arrival of the first babies, extending her felicitations to the proud parents and the healthcare team present on January 1st, 2024.

Addressing audience at the event which has become an annual tradition in Lagos, Dr. Sanwo-Olu emphasized the significance of a newborn as a precious blessing, symbolizing hope, new beginnings, and the resilience of life. She highlighted the communal celebration not only of the infant but also of the collective spirit uniting everyone present and promoting child healthcare services statewide.

Recognizing the pivotal role of a child’s birth in different cultures, she stressed its significance in preserving heritage and fostering good fortune for families and society. Dr. Sanwo-Olu commended the efforts of the Lagos State Government, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in fortifying maternal and child health policies, upgrading healthcare facilities, and ensuring accessible and affordable services.

She said: “Over the years, the Lagos State Government under the current administration of Mr. Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, through the Ministry of Health has continued to deliver its mandate to all residents in the State. The Government has strengthened its Maternal and Child health policies and programs, upgraded and constructed new MCC facilities to provide accessible and affordable mother and child healthcare services hence, reducing the high rate of morbidity and mortality among women and under-5 children in the State.”

The First Lady reiterated the government’s commitment to creating an environment where children can thrive and access quality healthcare akin to global standards. She encouraged residents to take advantage of the maternal and child care initiatives of the Government for the well-being of their families.

“As a government, we are committed to creating an environment where every child will strive perfectly like their counterparts in developed countries, where quality healthcare services will be accessible and equitable using appropriate modern technology through highly motivated healthcare workers.

“I wish to commend the health family under the leadership of the Honourable Commissioner, Special Adviser, the Permanent Secretaries and other indefatigable leaders for the continuing infrastructural upgrade; provision of relevant equipment, commitment to human capacity development towards best global practices in order to promote quality healthcare service delivery at all levels of care, promoting positive attitude of healthcare workers and to enhance customer’s satisfaction,” she said.