HISTORY OF LUTH

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital and the Medical School Complex grew out of a Cabinet decision of April, 1961 when the Council of Ministers set up a Cabinet Committee to consider the recommendations of Sir Eric Ashby’s Commission on Post-Secondary Education in Nigeria.  Members of the Cabinet Committee were Mr. Aja Nwachuckwu (Minister of Education), Dr. T. O.Elias (Attorney-General and Minister of Justice), Mr. Olu Akinfosile (Minister of Communications), Alhaji Shehu Shagari (Minister of Establishments) and Senator (Dr) M.A. Majekodunmi (Minister of State).  The Secretary to the Committee was Mr. C. O. Lawson, Deputy Secretary to the Council of Ministers. Two of the many recommendations of the Committee approved by the Council of Ministers were:-

  1.  The effective and rapid re-organisation of hospitals in Lagos,  Surulere, Ibadan, Kaduna and Enugu for teaching clinical medicine, and

  2.  The establishment of a full-fledged Medical School in Lagos as soon as possible to make use of the existing medical institutions.

The objective was to train at least 100 Doctors annually in Medical Schools in Nigeria from 1975 onwards.  The Cabinet reshuffle of June that year saw two of those who served on the Committee being appointed to implement these decisions.  These were Senator (Dr.) M.A. Majekodunmi, Minister of Health and Mr. C. O. Lawson, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health.

The  site on which the Mainland Hospital was built and now occupied by LUTH and CMUL was a ninety-two (92) acre field of bush and farmland.  In the perennial circumstances of scarcity of funds, it was considered economical to adapt the finished buildings of the new Surulere Mainland Hospital to suit the needs of a Teaching Hospital/Medical School Complex.  The energy and enthusiasm of the Minister of Health enabled this task to be accomplished in record time.

Chief (Dr. Majekodunmi, being very distinguished member of the Nigerian Medical Service, had played a major role in the planning of the original Mainland Hospital.  This far-sighted and far-reaching decision to re-orientate the original objective was to add a new and significant dimension to the contributions, which both the hospital and the Medical School were to make to health care delivery in Nigeria, Africa and beyond.

Admission of patients started around mid August, 1962 in what was the nucleus of the then 330 bed Mainland Hospital, now designated Lagos University Teaching Hospital.  Initially, it was decided that the Teaching Hospital and the Medical School should run on the principle of integrating, as much as possible, pre-clinical and clinical teaching.  Apart from the obvious advantages of utilization of common equipment, scarce financial resources and training facilities, the idea was the latest development in medical education the world over.

Profound credit for the establishment of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and the Medical School (now College of Medicine of the University of Lagos), must go to Chief (Dr) Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi.  It was he who conceived the idea of a full-fledged Teaching Hospital and Medical School in Lagos, which would make use of all existing Government hospital facilities for clinical teaching.  This was a revolutionary idea as it had always been accepted that Medical Students could only have clinical training in specially built and well-equipped Teaching Hospitals.  Chief (Dr.) Majekodunmi’s philosophy was that since on becoming Doctors, majority of the Medical Students would have to work in town and village hospitals, it should be part of their education and some form of assistance to existing clinics if these students used the facilities of the normal hospital for their training.

In retrospect, this was the kind of reasoning that informed the Alma Atta Declaration and gave birth to the philosophy of Primary Health Care the world over.  Throughout the early difficult years of the inception LUTH, Chief (Dr.) Majekodunmi, as the Minister of Health, provided an unflagging leadership and total commitment to any proposal aimed at the attainment of the objectives.

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital and the Medical School scheme might not have become a reality at the time they did but for Professors H. O. Thomas and F. O. Dosekun, who shared the Minister’s decision.  They were the principal architects and builders of the twin institutions.

The greatest tribute must go to the late Prime Minister,  Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, whose Government not only approved the setting up of the Hospital, but who showed personal interest in the scheme. The joy of the Prime Minister knew no bounds when on the 3rd of October, 1962, and in the presence of an assemblage of distinguished medical educators and academicians from all parts of the world, he personally dedicated the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and the Medical School to the glory of God and service of mankind.

ROLE PLAYED BY LUTH IN PROMOTING & PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH

Daily public enlightenment and teaching of patients and relations in all our Outpatients clinics and wards.  Counseling of patients at the Pharmacy dispensaries and wards on the use and application of drugs, abuse and misuse of drugs and general hygiene.  Public Health is generally being protected through the diagnosis and treatment of patients, as well as supporting and participating in programmes and researches that will benefit and improve public health.

WHAT THE PUBLIC STAND TO BENEFIT FROM CURACTIVITIES

As a foremost tertiary institution of international standard, the public stand to benefit immensely from our medical expertise in providing patient care, production of highly skilled medical and health manpower and investigation of health related problems by applying the highest standard of promptness, comprehensiveness and effectiveness.

AREAS OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN LUTH AND SISTER AGENCIES

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital is not an Island on its own and in discharging its duties of rendering excellent medical services to mankind; we interact and collaborate with the following agencies: Locally, our sister institution, the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos use our facilities to teach and produce highly skilled medical personnel while their lecturers are Consultants to LUTH in various areas of Medicine like Dentistry, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Radiodiagnosis, Radiation Biology etc.  Agencies like NAFDAC, PPFN, other Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres also collaborate with us.  Internationally, we collaborate with WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, WEST AFRICAN HEALTH COMMUNITIES etc in the areas of research and training and manpower development.

CONSTRAINTS AND FUTURE PLANS

Expectedly, in a 40-year-old multi-billion Naira hospital like the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, the problem of aging has set in on some of the equipment.  Some of the Medical Equipment are unserviceable and need outright replacement.  The hospital is seriously faced with inadequate funding and clinical supplementation to promote research, continuity, and education of staff and provision of essential facilities to both staff and patients.

Health funding has become a hydra-headed business that Government subvention alone can no longer cope with the demand of con temporary developments in health technology.  A measure of public confidence in the ability of the hospital is the endowment by Guinness Nigeria Plc, of a multi-million Naira Ultra-modern Eye Centre, which is the biggest in the country, and donations of equipment worth millions of Naira by Mobil Nigeria Ltd and Siemens to the hospital.   Irregular or non-continuity in service due to regular national strike actions by various National Health Professionals in the country is also militating against the hospital.  The hospital will perform better if more modern equipment that will aid diagnosis/treatment are available.  Our future plan is to improve on our facilities and render continuous and efficient services to the nation in pursuant of our Mission Statement.

UNIQUE SERVICES RENDERED AND CAPABILITY

There is no doubting the fact that the Lagos University Teaching Hospital is one of the best Teaching/Specialist Hospitals in the country.  The hospital is designated a center of excellence in Dentistry.  A major breakthrough of the successful conception and delivery of the first authentic test tube (In-Vitro-Fertilization) baby was performed by the duo of Professor Osato Frank Giwa-Osagie and Professor Dapo Ashiru at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.  We also render services in specialized areas of Medicine like Neuro-Surgery, Haemo-dialysis, Cancer treatment, Eye treatment, Urology, Paediatric Surgery, Maternal Health etc.  LUTH is the hospital in Nigeria with the highest concentration of skilled medical and paramedical staff in different areas of medicine. This explains the reason why LUTH is always the focus when foreign countries, oil companies and even highbrow private hospitals in Nigeria are on recruitment drive for manpower.  LUTH has pioneered Small Incision Cataract Excision Surgery in Nigeria and has trained over 20 doctors from all over the country in the procedure in the past one year.  The hospital has also commenced laparascopic gynaecologic surgery which has dramatically reduced the duration of hospitalization after surgery.

EXPECTATION FROM THE PUBLIC TOWARD PROMOTING OUR ACTIVITIES

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital is located in a cosmopolitan city of Lagos where almost every patient is aware of his/her rights and what is expected from the hospital in terms of services.  Besides, all the local and foreign media houses are concentrated in Lagos.  With such an assemblage of a critical media, LUTH is always the parameter to measure health news.  Realising the importance of such an  informed clientele and media, the Management Board of LUTH is constantly formulating policies, rules and regulations that will be in tune with the yearnings and aspirations of our clients and also ensure that the highest standard of healthcare delivery is rendered.

EXISTING FACILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT

Some of the facilities in LUTH are as old as the hospital.  However, the Management Board of the Hospital is working continually to refurbish those that should be refurbished while new ones are being purchased to be in tune with the healthcare delivery in the 21st century.  LUTH is privileged to be among the  health institutions that owns the 8 SOMATOM ART C.T.SCANNER (a very expensive computerized machine that scans a patient from head to toe) serving a population of over 120 million Nigerians.

We also possess-functional DENTAL AZS UNIT (the only one of its kind in the country),.  COBE Century 2RX dialysis machine, Servo Ventilator R 300 anaesthetic Machine, SONOLINE ULTRASOUND SCANNER, Linear Accelerator for cancer treatment etc.  Most of the infrastructures in LUTH are still very solid while areas that need refurbishment and rehabilitation are being taken care of continually in order to return the hospital to glories of its founding years.  In terms of physical facilities, LUTH has the most modern operating theatre - The Modular Theatre - the only one of its kind in black Africa.  This theatre incorporates a most sophisticated intensive care unit.  LUTH also boasts of a comprehensive Diagnostic Centre and VIP Clinic, state of the art Laboratories, Radiodiagnosis, Radiotherapy and Renal Dialysis facilities.

From a humble beginning of 330 beds, LUTH today, is the largest Teaching Hospital in Nigeria with 761 beds and with the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos in the training of hundreds of Medical, Dental, Pharmacy and other Science Students.  The hospital has produced thousands of Nurses, Laboratory Technologists, Health Records Officers and para-Medical Cadres.

Various members of the Consultant staff have made significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge in major areas of medical science, notably in the separation of conjoined twins and in-vitro fertilization.

LUTH today is a multi-billion Naira enterprise with lots of world class equipment in various units, which needs replacement or rehabilitation but are suffering due to LACK OF FUNDS to continue to maintain services at the optimum level of its early years.