A resident of Lagos State, Muhammad Armayau has applauded the state’s emergency responders for acting swiftly to save his 7-month old daughter.
Armayau
who resides in Badagry area of the state disclosed this to journalists on
Monday, saying his daughter fell seriously sick in the middle of the night,
during a heavy downpour and there was no car to take the child to the hospital.
He
said his family heaved a sigh of relief when they put a call through to 112,
the state’s government emergency toll free line.
Armayau
explained that, ” My seven-month-old daughter developed a high fever after
battling an elevated temperature for two days.
When
the thermometer read 38.5°C, panic set in. With heavy rain falling and no means
of transportation, my wife and i tried to bring the fever down by gently wiping
the baby with a wet towel while waiting for the rain to subside.”
According
to him, at about 4:07 a.m., he called 112 and explained the situation to an
emergency response officer, who immediately requested his address and a nearby
landmark after hearing the baby crying in the background.
“Twenty
minutes later, the Lagos Emergency Response Call Centre called back
to confirm that an ambulance had already been dispatched. Because it was still
dark, the officer discussed the best way for the ambulance crew to locate the
family.
“By
5:07 a.m., the rain had eased, and another call informed me that the ambulance
was waiting at the Checkpoint Bus Stop. The family quickly rode on a motorcycle
to the location, where the ambulance team was already waiting.
“After
assessing the baby’s condition, the medical personnel recommended taking her to
General Hospital, Badagry, since the family’s nearest Primary Health Centre at
Ilepo does not operate round the clock.”
According
to Armayau, the ambulance was unable to reach his home because of the poor
condition of the Ibiye–Checkpoint–Magbon road, which had become difficult to
access due to the heavy rainfall.
He
described the response as remarkable, noting that the ambulance travelled
approximately 24 kilometres from General Hospital, Badagry, simply to attend to
their emergency.
Armayau
noted that at the hospital, the baby received immediate medical attention,
saying,” i paid ₦2,000 to open a new patient file, ₦8,000 for laboratory tests,
including a Full Blood Count (FBC) and malaria test, and about ₦4,000
for prescribed medications.”
He
added that if their Lagos State Health Insurance coverage had still been
active, the total cost would have been just ₦1,400.
Apart from those payments, he said there were no consultation fees or ambulance
charges, describing the experience as an example of public services funded by
taxpayers delivering real value to residents.
Armayau
also commended the cleanliness of General Hospital, Badagry, and acknowledged
the dedication of the healthcare workers on duty.
While
praising the emergency response and healthcare services, he appealed to the
Lagos State government to rehabilitate the Ibiye–Checkpoint–Magbon road, employ
more doctors at General Hospital, Badagry, upgrade the Ilepo Primary Health
Centre to a 24-hour facility, improve electricity supply in the community, and
work towards a unified electronic medical record system across government
hospitals.
He
also appreciated ongoing infrastructure projects in Badagry, including road
rehabilitation and improvements around the General Hospital, noting that better
roads significantly enhance emergency response and save lives.
Describing
the experience as one he had only seen in developed countries, Armayau
expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Emergency Response Team and all
frontline health workers for their commitment to protecting lives.
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