By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Lagos State Government has raised alarm over a critical shortage of medical professionals, revealing that the state currently has only 7,000 doctors, far short of the 40,000 it requires to adequately meet the healthcare needs of its over 30 million residents.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, made the disclosure on Wednesday during a ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.
He explained that the current ratio of doctors to patients in Lagos mirrors the national crisis, where Nigeria operates at a ratio of one doctor to 5,000 people—far below the World Health Organisation’s standard of one to 600 for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Lagos alone needs 33,000 more doctors and an equal number of nurses to meet basic standards,” Prof. Abayomi said, adding that the gap threatens the sustainability and efficiency of healthcare delivery in the state.
To address the gap, he said the state has embarked on major long-term initiatives, including the establishment of the University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMH Lagos), designed to ramp up the production of healthcare workers.
According to Abayomi, with an initial intake of over 500 students, the university is projected to produce 2,500 healthcare professionals annually within five years, including doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, and allied health workers, adding that the current Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) admitted only 200 students annually.
Abayomi also highlighted the Lagos Medipark project, launched in December 2024. Located on 2.19 hectares at Awolowo Road in Ikoyi, the facility will feature 140 beds and create over 1,000 jobs.
Developed through a public-private partnership between the Lagos State Government and IASO Medipark Limited, the US$60 million project is expected to be completed within 24 months, with a concession period of 30 years.
Tackling Malaria and Infectious Diseases
Abayomi said while Nigeria bore the world’s highest malaria burden, accounting for 27% of global cases and 32% of global deaths, Lagos has recorded a comparatively low prevalence rate of 2.6%, placing it in the “low transmission” category.
Abayomi attributed this to innovations like the Lagos Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP), which enables real-time tracking of health data, quick detection of outbreaks, and more effective responses.
He stated that SHIP is also being used to monitor non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, which have worrying prevalence rates of 20% and 6% respectively in Lagos—many of which go undetected.
HIV and Cancer Response
The commissioner disclosed that 135,224 people are currently living with HIV in the state, saying that in response, over 100 religious leaders had been engaged as HIV and AIDS ambassadors to drive awareness and prevention.
He disclosed that in the past year, 154,228 women were screened for cervical cancer, with 8,613 receiving thermal ablation treatment, adding that breast and prostate cancer campaigns had also intensified, with hundreds screened during awareness months.
Health Regulation and Facility Monitoring
Improved oversight by the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) has seen 544 new facilities registered in 2024, bringing the total number under regulation to 4,300, adding that a total of 3,569 facilities were monitored this year, with 78 sealed over regulatory breaches.
Abayomi reaffirmed the state’s commitment to overhauling the health sector through massive investment, innovation, and workforce development, noting that sustainable healthcare in Lagos depends on rapid scaling of infrastructure and human capital.
