To address the increasing number of rape and defilement cases in Lagos communities, the State Ministry of Health has trained healthcare workers on the prevention and management of sexual assault cases.
\nThe Director, Public Affairs in the ministry, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, in a statement on Monday said the training equipped health workers with the knowledge and skills to provide professional, compassionate, and timely care to survivors.
\nDr Folasade Oludara, Director, Family Health and Nutrition, State Ministry of Health, said the growing number of rape and defilement cases in Lagos communities necessitated the upskilling of healthcare workers who are often the first responders to survivors.
\nOludara, represented by Dr Oluwatosin Onasanya, Deputy Director, Child Health, said the government recognised the critical role of health professionals in both clinical management and legal documentation of sexual assault cases.
\nShe explained that the training was designed to ensure healthcare workers are adequately equipped to identify, document, and manage sexual assault cases effectively.
\nAccording to her, the training will strengthen Lagos\u2019 coordinated health system response to gender-based violence.
\nShe disclosed that the state government had already provided equipment and specimen collection tools to health facilities, noting that the training complemented this investment by building the competence of personnel handling such sensitive cases.
\nOludara explained that doctors and nurses at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels who serve as first contact points for survivors were carefully selected from all 57 LGAs and LCDAs, particularly from areas with higher incident rates.
\nThe SGBV Programme Manager, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Juradat Aofiyebi, emphasised that the capacity-building initiative was a strategic step toward improving survivor-centred healthcare delivery and prosecution outcomes.
\nAofiyebi added that the training underscored the government\u2019s commitment to reducing the prevalence of sexual assault through a robust, multi-sectoral approach.
\n\u201cThe training provides healthcare workers with the knowledge to properly identify survivors, document findings accurately, and provide comprehensive care, all of which contribute to justice delivery and prevention of repeat offences.
\nShe said the ministry would sustain such training to ensure that every survivor who presented at a Lagos health facility received quality, non-judgmental care.
\nMrs Adebanke Ogunde, Deputy Director, Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lagos State Ministry of Justice, highlighted the importance of medical documentation in sexual assault trials.
\nShe explained that most convictions hinge on the quality of medical reports and forensic evidence provided by healthcare professionals, noting that medical reports served as vital corroborative evidence in court, particularly in cases involving children.
\n\u201cYour medical reports are crucial; they can determine whether justice is served or denied,\u201d she said.
\nOgunde reminded health workers of their legal duty to report suspected sexual assault cases to the police or the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA).
\nSimilarly, Dr Oluwajimi Sodipo, Consultant Family Physician, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), underscored the importance of timely medical attention, psychosocial support, and non-stigmatising care for survivors.
\nSodipo explained that immediate presentation within 72 hours of assault improved chances of preventing infections and collecting viable forensic evidence.
\nHe commended Lagos State for sustaining its inter-agency collaboration and continuous professional training on SGBV.<\/p>\n
Sodipo, however, called for the strengthening of DNA and forensic capacities, improved insurance coverage, and better remuneration for healthcare workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must sustain motivation and continuous retraining if we want to retain skilled professionals and enhance justice outcomes,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Also, Mrs Margret Anyebe, Claims Officer, Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), said domestic and sexual violence response had been integrated into the ILERA EKO Health Insurance Scheme.<\/p>\n
Anyebe explained that survivors of sexual and domestic violence are covered for medical treatment, investigations, and follow-up care under the state\u2019s Equity Fund for vulnerable groups.<\/p>\n
\u201cHospitals are to provide first-line care, document, and refer survivors appropriately, while LASHMA ensures prompt reimbursement and oversight,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
To address the increasing number of rape and defilement cases in Lagos communities, the State Ministry of Health has trained healthcare workers on the prevention and management of sexual assault cases. The Director, Public Affairs in the ministry, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, in a statement on Monday said the training equipped health workers with the knowledge and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67315,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-349907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/67315"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=349907"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":349911,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349907\/revisions\/349911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=349907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=349907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=349907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}