Lagos govt to build international infectious disease research centre

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said on Sunday the state government had concluded plans on the construction of a purpose-built International Infectious Disease Research Centre at the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba.

Sanwo-Olu, who disclosed this at the official launch of the 150-bed Mainland Infectious Disease Isolation Centre donated by Private Sector Coalition Against COVID19 (CACOVID) to the state government for COVID-19 response, said the measure was part of the government’s COVID-19 response and other infectious diseases preparedness in post-pandemic era.

The isolation facility has a fully equipped Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory, a routine laboratory, a bouquet of administrative and ancillary facilities, a water treatment plant, a waste management system and three power generators for case management.

The government added that the state government would also erect a purpose-built doctors’ quarters and permanent isolation wards to ramp up capacity for any infectious disease outbreak in Lagos as part of the global master plan for the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba.

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He said: “Our infectious disease hospital is seeing a lot of brand new things coming up and we are committed to the fact that this hospital post-COVID-19 would see a purpose-built international infectious disease research center. The designs are out already.

“We will also be building purpose-built isolation wards, we will ramp up our infrastructure and capacity and not wait for a pandemic to come on us again. We will be building doctors’ quarters in this facility as part of our global plan for the Yaba Infectious Disease Hospital.”

He commended CACOVID for donating the isolation centre to the Lagos State government for COVID-19 response, adding that the facility would certainly add to the state capacity and allow it to do a lot more in the war against the pandemic.

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