Mansur Oladunjoye
25 November 2008
Lagos — The unscheduled visit of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State to Children hospital, Massey in Lagos Island yesterday threw the entire management and staff of the hospital into confusion.
Fashola, Daily Champion learnt positioned himself at the pharmacy section of the hospital in disguise after arriving on a motorbike. He was said to have cleverly applied some make-up on face and beard while his retinue of security mostly on mufti and personal aides rather positioned themselves in and around the hospital and surroundings so as not to attract his attention.
We further gathered that Fashola's visit followed a series of complaints and allegations that the hospital and other state hospitals not only sell the supposed free drugs to patients; the staff also lack human relations in their conduct with the citizenry.
Fashola's identity was, however, uncovered when a middle-aged mother, Alice Tinubu whose five-year old son was admitted at the Emergency section, had for hours been seeking the attention of some pharmacists to purchase the prescribed drug, but to no avail. She later sought the assistance of Fashola, who was sitting all alone to understudy the happenings in the hospital.
Mrs. Tinubu was quoted to have said, "Excuse me sir, (Fashola) I have tried to get these pharmacists to sell drugs to me, it's like they are not willing to attend to us here."
Fashola was said to have asked her why such thing could ever happen, after which he demanded for her identity before collecting the prescription from her to help out.
Our source, name withheld said, "The governor collected the paper from her and went to the pharmacy section to knock on the dividing window, but when they opened the window and saw him, they immediately recognised him and started to attend to the woman and other patients too."
Mrs. Tinubu who spoke with our reporter said that Fashola's unscheduled visit to Massey hospital elicited unprecedented care from the medical and non-medical staff who were hitherto hostile to parents of the sick children.
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This is very interesting. I hope Governor Fashola will apply maximum displinary actions as might be in civilized country. Good work, Fashola.