Bed space, referral capacity and emergency response of the healthcare facilities in lagos state: a key to improving healthcare

Abstract

Background: A health system comprises various elements such as infrastructure, human resources, data systems, and financial systems. Adequate infrastructure, including buildings, equipment, supplies, and communication, is crucial to health services. In Nigeria, some healthcare facilities do not have the needed human and infrastructure resources to manage specific conditions, causing multiple referrals and endangering patients' lives. The present study assessed the availability of in-patient beds and the referral capacity and emergency response of the healthcare facilities in Lagos State. Methods: This study leveraged Noi Polls census data on Health Facility Assessment for Lagos state conducted between November 2020 and December 2021. The survey was conducted in 1256 health facilities which are 53.8% of the entire health facilities in Lagos State, and 53.8% of the population of Lagos State was used to compute the bed/population ratio. A descriptive analysis was done to present the findings. Result: Findings revealed that Lagos State has eight (8) beds per 10,000 population which is below the global average of twenty-six (26) beds per 10,000 population and the recommended five (5) beds per 1,000 population by the World Health Organisation. The results further reveal that healthcare facilities in Lagos State need additional 2,861 beds to reach the Sub-Saharan average in-patient beds of twelve (12) per 10,000 population and an additional 31,953 beds to reach the recommended five (5) per 1,000 populations by the World Health Organization. Conclusion: Infrastructures such as beds, emergency rooms, and the emergency transportation services needed to transport patients to other facilities are lacking in most of the healthcare facilities in Lagos State. Secondary healthcare facilities in the State cannot discharge their roles, especially handling referred patients, as they lack bed space to care for in-patients and emergency rooms to carter for emergency cases.