Lagos Rescue Team Praised by Grateful Dad for Saving His 7-Month-Old Baby Girl

A Lagos resident, Muhammad Armayau, has praised the state's emergency responders for their prompt action in saving his seven-month-old daughter, who fell critically ill during a heavy downpour, commending their swift intervention as a remarkable response.

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Armayau, who resides in the Badagry area, recounted that his daughter developed a high fever in the middle of the night, leaving the family without a means of transportation to take her to the hospital due to the heavy rain.

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The family's ordeal began when the child's temperature soared, reaching 38.5°C, prompting Armayau to call the Lagos State emergency toll-free line, 112, at about 4:07 a.m. in a bid to get help.

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An emergency response officer immediately requested Armayau's address and a nearby landmark after hearing the baby crying in the background, and about 20 minutes later, the Lagos Emergency Response Call Centre called back to confirm that an ambulance had been dispatched.

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The ambulance was scheduled to arrive at 5:07 a.m., and after the rain subsided, another call informed Armayau that the ambulance was waiting at Checkpoint Bus Stop, where the family later met the medical team, who assessed the baby's condition and recommended that she be taken to General Hospital, Badagry.

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The medical team's decision to take the baby to General Hospital, Badagry, was due to the fact that the family's nearest Primary Health Centre at Ilepo does not operate round the clock, and the ambulance could not access Armayau's residence because the Ibiye–Checkpoint–Magbon road had become difficult to navigate following the heavy rainfall.

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The ambulance travelled about 24 kilometres from General Hospital, Badagry, to attend to the emergency, a distance that Armayau noted was a testament to the dedication of the emergency responders.

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At the hospital, the baby received immediate treatment, and Armayau paid ₦2,000 to open a patient file, ₦8,000 for laboratory tests, including a Full Blood Count and malaria test, and about ₦4,000 for prescribed medication, totaling a significant amount.

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If his Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme coverage had remained active, the total cost would have been about ₦1,400, Armayau noted, adding that apart from those payments, there were no consultation or ambulance charges, describing the experience as an example of public services delivering value to residents.

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Armayau praised the cleanliness of General Hospital, Badagry, and the commitment of healthcare workers on duty, expressing his gratitude for the quality of care his daughter received during their visit.

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However, he appealed to the Lagos State Government to rehabilitate the Ibiye–Checkpoint–Magbon road, employ more doctors at General Hospital, Badagry, upgrade Ilepo Primary Health Centre into a 24-hour facility, improve electricity supply in the area, and develop a unified electronic medical records system across government hospitals.

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Armayau acknowledged ongoing infrastructure projects in Badagry, including road rehabilitation and improvements around the General Hospital, saying better roads would enhance emergency response and save lives, a development he welcomed as a resident of the area.

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Describing the experience as one he had previously associated with developed countries, Armayau expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Emergency Response Team and frontline health workers for their dedication to saving lives, praising their selfless service.