Victor EzejaLagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has officially commissioned a 50-bed medical facility, built by Avon Medical in Surulere, Lagos.
The state-of-the-art healthcare facility was established by Dr. Awele Elumelu, wife of Heirs Holdings Chairman, Tony Elumelu.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelSpeaking at the inauguration of the hospital facility, Governor Sanwo-Olu commended Tony Elumelu and his wife for their vision and quest to contribute to healthcare development in the country.
He gave special commendation to Dr Awele, a medical practitioner, for not sitting back despite being comfortable, but decided to do something with her profession to help humanity in the area of healthcare through the Avon Medicals.
While noting that health institutions everywhere in the world are not established and managed only by the government, the governor emphasised the need for private sector participation in the healthcare industry.
He commended Avon Medicals for the significant expansion recorded since it was established 16 years ago and called on other private investors to emulate such an initiative as a way of addressing the healthcare challenges in the country. “Avon Medical, I would dare say, has put their name in the sand of time in this industry, not only in Lagos, but in Nigeria,” Sanwo-Olu stated.
The governor said his administration has been creating an enabling environment for private investment in the health sector, adding that he remains committed to partnering and collaborating with private investors on such a noble initiative to boost healthcare delivery in Lagos and the entire country.
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“We’re partnering and we’re collaborating. Health practitioners, health institutions, and health facilities everywhere in the world are not done by one arm of society alone. Governments can certainly not provide everything for everyone. But the government must create an enabling environment for private equity, for private partners, for private investors to take that decision and put their investment into the health profession.”
While noting that investing in the health sector requires patience because the turnaround is in the long term, Sanwo-Olu pointed out that it is done with a sense of purpose to help the people, have a better health outcome.
“So, I feel truly proud of what Avon Medical has done, what you’ve been doing in the last 16 years,” he stated.
The governor recalled that Avon Medical started as a small clinic but today, has expanded into a full diagnostic, obstetrics and gynaecology, neonatal and paediatric health facility, and also offers a health insurance scheme.
While acknowledging healthcare challenges such as the level of access to facilities and human resources, the Lagos governor said it can be reversed by the establishment of this kind of facility both at the national and state levels.
He highlighted efforts of his administration in the last six years to fix the health system in the state, adding that the COVID-19 global pandemic taught a big lesson about the need to have an effective healthcare system.
“We’re saying that, as a government, we’ll continue year on year to ensure that nothing less than eight to ten percent of our budget goes in one form or the other into the health space. Because it’s not the number of (while it is important) roads and bridges that you build; health is wealth,” the governor emphasised.
He appealed to healthcare workers to see the need to stay in Nigeria and help build the healthcare system instead of relocating to foreign countries in search of greener pastures.
“It’s tough sometimes, but don’t give up on us. It’s not an opportunity that JAPA is a solution. No, here is the solution. Let us build our own health institutions. Let’s reverse the over $2 billion that we say we take out on a year-on-year basis,” he urged.
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In his remarks, the Minister of Health, Prof Ali Pate, said the Federal Government was strengthening the tertiary healthcare system to address medical tourism
The minister, who was represented by Prof Wasiu Adeyemo, Chief Medical Director of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, applauded the founder of Avon Medical for playing an important role in the healthcare system and contributing to the success of the government’s major investment in the sector.
Why We Set Up Avon Medical Facility – Awele Elumelu
In her keynote at the launch of the Avon Medical facility, Dr Awele Elumelu, said the journey of establishing a world-class healthcare facility, accessible and affordable for all, officially began in 2009.
She said they were spurred by problems in Africa’s healthcare system to take the bold decision of investing in the industry.
According to her, some of them include: “overburdened public hospital; Lack of modern equipment; medical professionals being stretched to their limits; and too many people frustrated as they simply couldn’t get medical help in time.”
“We could not look away, so we decided to do something about it. That single decision to step in gave birth to Avon Medical and our health insurance company, Avon HMO,” Awele stated.
She explained that their primary goal was to provide excellent healthcare services, and also ensure that people could afford them. “That combination was deliberate. It was our way of ensuring we were not only building facilities, but we were also creating access to them,” she stressed.
She revealed that from a humble beginning of operating just a work-site clinic at a single location, they have grown into a 50-bed hospital network, including a dialysis centre, and several worksite clinics.
Reflecting on the healthcare statistics for Africa, she said the continent carries over 20 per cent of the global disease burden yet has access to only 1 per cent of healthcare resources. She further mentioned that 48 per cent of Africans lack access to the quality healthcare they need, while only about 3 per cent of global health workers serve the continent. These highlight the obvious lack of healthcare access and dearth of human resources, hence the need to tackle them.
“In Nigeria alone, the gap in the number of available and qualified doctors, beds, and equipment reflects a system under pressure. The African healthcare system is the hardest hit by the migration crisis,” Awele stated.
She added that in all of these, women and children are the most affected.
With facilities such as the one provided by Avon Medical, the issue of access and affordability will be reduced.
“Now, more women will receive the maternal care they need to safely bring life into the world. It means more children will get timely diagnoses, life-saving treatments, and a better shot at long, healthier lives. It means more families will have access to quality and affordable healthcare services that they deserve. This is what we are building: a healthcare system that leaves no one behind.”
She emphasised that the idea behind the creation of the medical facility, is a reflection of their philosophy of “Africapitalism, the belief that the private sector has a major role to play in our continent’s development; the belief that we have a responsibility, not just to generate profit but most importantly, to create a lasting impact, to do well and do good.
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“To solve problems. To improve lives that will transform Africa. And I want to be clear, we are not stopping here:”
She said the achievement is not the end, but a springboard to more that would come.
“Our vision has always been bold: to create a network of health solutions that are not only accessible and affordable, but also world-class.
“We will continue to empower individuals to live healthier and fuller lives and restore hope in Africa’s healthcare system.
“To achieve a developed Africa, we must have healthier Africans. It is possible. It is achievable, and we will get there.”
While assuring that they would continue to offer excellent services at the medical facility, she appreciated the Lagos State Government and the Ministry of Health for creating an enabling environment that encourages private and public sector collaboration.
She also thanked all workers in their medical facilities for their daily efforts in offering best services to the public.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
