Lagos State Government has raised alarm over a critical shortage of medical personnel, revealing that the state requires an additional 33,000 doctors and 33,000 nurses to meet the healthcare demands of its growing population.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, made this known during a media briefing to mark the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.
According to him, Lagos currently has only 7,000 doctors serving an estimated 30 million residents, far below what is needed for optimal care delivery.
To address the shortage, Prof. Abayomi said the state is investing in its newly established University of Medicine and Health (UMH).
“Within five years, UMH will produce about 2,500 healthcare workers annually, including laboratory scientists and other essential cadres,”; he stated.
He also noted that only a fraction of residents are currently subscribed to the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme.
Out of the registered population, only 1,252,959 individuals, just 4.17 per cent, are covered. At present, 419 health facilities operate under the insurance scheme.
However, with the recent implementation of the mandatory health insurance policy, the commissioner expressed optimism that funding for healthcare delivery would improve significantly.
Providing updates on ongoing health infrastructure projects, Abayomi announced that the 150-bed Massey Street Children’s Specialist Hospital is 70 per cent completed.
Also, the 280-bed General Hospital and Staff Quarters in Iba, Ojo, is 75 per cent done, while construction of the Mental Health Institute in Epe has reached 65 per cent completion. All three facilities, he confirmed, are slated for commissioning by April 2026.
The commissioner also presented data on public health issues affecting the state.
He revealed that 135,224 Lagosians are currently living with HIV, with over 100 religious leaders engaged as ambassadors in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Free cervical cancer screenings have been conducted for 154,228 women, with 8,613 receiving thermal ablation treatment.
