A resident of Lagos State, Muhammad Armayau, has applauded the state’s emergency responders for acting swiftly to save his seven-month-old daughter.

Armayau, who resides in the 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 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: “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,” he said.

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 N2,000 to open a new patient file, N8,000 for laboratory tests, including a Full Blood Count (FBC) and malaria test, and about N4,000 for prescribed medications.”

He added that if their Lagos State Health Insurance coverage had still been active, the total cost would have been just N1,400.

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. (Channels TV)

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