Hospitals in Lagos for older parents: where to go and what to ask

How hospitals in Lagos are organised

It helps to know the three levels of hospital, because they suit different needs and different budgets.

• Teaching hospitals are the largest public hospitals, with specialists in most areas of medicine. In Lagos these are the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), run by the federal government, and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), run by the state.
• General hospitals are state-owned hospitals one level below the teaching hospitals. They handle most common illnesses and emergencies and refer complicated cases up.
• Private hospitals range from small clinics to large specialist hospitals. Many families use them for shorter waiting times, but costs are higher and many ask for payment or a deposit before treatment.

Most older people need more than one kind of care over time: a regular doctor for blood pressure or diabetes, a specialist now and then, and a hospital that can admit them quickly in an emergency. These do not have to be the same place, but the family should know which is which.

Public teaching hospitals

Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) is in Idi-Araba, Surulere. It is one of the largest hospitals in Nigeria, with over 950 beds and 46 clinical departments, and it has an accident and emergency unit. LUTH has announced plans for a dedicated geriatric facility. When we checked in October 2026 we found no confirmation that it had opened, so ask the hospital directly.

Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) is at 1 to 5 Oba Akinjobi Way, Ikeja. Its website says it is open 24 hours, every day, and lists separate medical and surgical emergency lines. LASUTH has a geriatric unit, a team that specialises in the care of older people, which the hospital reported on in September 2025.

Teaching hospitals are often the best place for complicated or serious illness, because the specialists are all in one place. The trade-off is that clinics can be crowded and waiting times long, so it helps to have someone with your parent for the whole visit.

Lagos State general hospitals

Lagos State runs general hospitals across the state, including General Hospital Lagos on Lagos Island, General Hospital Ikorodu and General Hospital Badagry, each of which also hosts a base for the state ambulance service. In 2023 the Lagos State House of Assembly called for the general hospitals at Badagry, Alimosho, Ikorodu, Epe and Lagos Island to be upgraded to tertiary level.

For a parent who lives far from Idi-Araba or Ikeja, the nearest general hospital may be the fastest place to get emergency treatment started. Find out which one is closest to your parent's home before you need it.

Private hospitals that older people often use

These private hospitals offer services that matter for older people, such as heart care, stroke care, dialysis and intensive care. We have no business relationship with any of them, and the list is not a ranking. Each detail below comes from the hospital's own website, checked in October 2026.

Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Lekki:

• Reddington Hospital has branches in Victoria Island, Lekki and Ikeja, advertises 24-hour services, and offers cardiology including interventional cardiology, and a cardiothoracic unit. It holds COHSASA accreditation.
• Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals has hospitals in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Ikeja, with cardiology and heart surgery, neurosurgery, kidney care and dialysis, orthopaedics and cancer care. It states it holds Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation.
• Evercare Hospital Lekki is a 165-bed multispecialty hospital on Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1.
• St Nicholas Hospital has branches on Lagos Island, Victoria Island, Maryland, Surulere and the Lekki Free Zone. It is known for kidney care, including dialysis and kidney transplants, and also offers orthopaedics and intensive care. It holds COHSASA accreditation.
• Lagos Executive Cardiovascular Centre (LECC) in Lekki Phase 1 says it is open 24/7 and offers heart care, neurology and stroke care, kidney care and dialysis, an adult intensive care unit and cardiac rehabilitation.
• FCC Healthcare (First Cardiology Consultants) in Ikoyi specialises in heart care, including angiograms and heart surgery, and lists a 24-hour emergency contact.
• Cedarcrest Hospitals on Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island, focuses on orthopaedics, joint replacement and spine surgery, and lists 24-hour emergency numbers.
• Kelina Hospital in Victoria Island lists 24-hour emergency care, and specialises in urology, including prostate surgery, and in kidney care and dialysis.

Ikeja and the mainland:

• Duchess International Hospital in Ikeja GRA is a 100-bed hospital offering 24-hour emergency care, heart care and heart surgery, orthopaedic and spine surgery, dialysis and a 22-bed critical care unit.
• Reddington Hospital and Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals both have Ikeja branches, and St Nicholas Hospital has a branch in Maryland.

Many smaller private hospitals across Lagos also offer good care closer to home. The questions later in this guide will help you judge any hospital, whatever its size.

In an emergency: who to call

If your parent collapses, has chest pain, struggles to breathe, or shows signs of a stroke such as a drooping face, a weak arm or slurred speech, get help immediately.

• Call 112 or 767. These are the Lagos emergency numbers, and the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) is reached on them
• If you can get there faster yourself, go straight to the nearest hospital with an accident and emergency department
• Take the list of medicines, the person's ID, and any insurance or HMO card
• Tell the hospital about any do-not-resuscitate wishes or advance directive straight away

Lagos State officials have warned the public about people pretending to be from LASAMBUS. Use the official numbers, 767 or 112, rather than numbers shared on social media.

Your rights in an emergency, and paying for care

Many private hospitals in Nigeria ask for a deposit before treatment, and families have been turned away. The law is on the patient's side in an emergency. Section 20 of the National Health Act 2014 says a health care provider, health worker or health establishment shall not refuse a person emergency medical treatment for any reason. Breaking it can lead to a fine, imprisonment or both.

In December 2025 Lagos State launched LASHMA-AID, which pays for up to 48 hours of emergency stabilisation in hospital for people enrolled in ILERA EKO, the Lagos State health insurance scheme, and for vulnerable residents. Patients are stabilised first and payment is sorted out afterwards.

For older people, ILERA EKO offers a Senior's Plan for Lagos residents aged 60 and over. As reported in August 2026, it costs ₦60,000 a year for one person or ₦100,000 for a couple, and covers specialist access, physiotherapy and routine checks. It is worth looking into before your parent needs a hospital, because insurance arranged in advance makes emergencies far less stressful.

How to choose a hospital before you need one

The time to choose a hospital is when your parent is well. Pick one main hospital near their home and ask these questions, by phone or in person:

• Do you have a 24-hour emergency department, with a doctor on site at night?
• Do you have an intensive care unit, and can you admit older patients to it?
• Do you treat the conditions my parent has, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes or kidney problems?
• Do you accept my parent's health insurance or HMO, or ILERA EKO?
• Do you ask for a deposit before treatment, and how much?
• How long does it take to get there from my parent's home in normal traffic, and at night?
• Can a family member stay with my parent if they are admitted?

Write down the hospital's address and emergency number and share them with everyone who looks after your parent, including any caregiver or helper. A second, backup hospital is a good idea in case the first is full.

What to take to hospital

Keep a folder ready so nobody has to search for papers in a hurry:

• An up-to-date list of every medicine, with doses
• Your parent's ID and any insurance or HMO card
• Letters or results from recent hospital visits
• A list of allergies and long-term conditions
• Phone numbers for the family and their regular doctor
• Their glasses, hearing aid, dentures and a change of clothes

If you are abroad when your parent is admitted

Being far away when a parent is in hospital is one of the hardest parts of caring from abroad. A few steps help:

• Ask for the name of the doctor in charge and the ward, and call at the same time each day
• Agree one family member in Lagos who speaks to the hospital, so staff are not getting calls from five relatives
• Pay the hospital directly for bills and deposits, and ask for receipts
• Before discharge, ask what treatment was given, which medicines to take and stop, and when the follow-up appointment is

Our guide to a private nurse at home covers what to ask the hospital before your parent comes home, and how to get the house ready.

How Home Care Nigeria helps

Every care plan we write includes an emergency plan: your parent's preferred hospital, an emergency number that works for their address, their next of kin and any advance directive. Our caregivers see this plan on their phone, even without signal. If a caregiver raises an urgent concern, the app tells them to call the emergency number first, then alerts our nurse and supervisor as soon as the phone has signal. The caregiver or nurse decides whether to send the family an urgent update.

Common questions