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Lagos Deficient By 30,000 Medical Doctors – Commissioner Akin Abayomi
Lagos state is in dire need of medical doctors to cater to the medical needs of the city.
Ikeja, Lagos State– Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, has stated that the state’s health sector is facing a shortage of medical personnel.
Speaking at the 2024 Clean-Air Forum in Lagos on Wednesday, Abayomi disclosed that the state is deficient by 30,000 doctors needed to adequately meet the healthcare needs of its growing population.
He said the mass exodus of medical doctors out of the country has resulted in pressure on the available doctors.
The theme of the event is “Advancing Collaborations and Multi-regional Partnerships for Clean Air Actions in African Cities”. It was organised by the University of Lagos, AirQo, and the Makerelere University, Uganda, with support from the Lagos government.
Speaking on the forum’s theme, the commissioner decried the negative impact of air pollution and its bearing on the health sector.
He said the state has been facilitating inter-agency collaborations to mitigate the crisis
He added that Lagos state is in dire need of medical doctors to cater to the medical needs of the city.
“Lagos annual population growth rate of six to eight per cent comes with huge challenges and the health sector not exception.
“Lagos because of its daily increasing population has a complex tuberculosis index and the state is making a whole lot of impact in this area to mitigate its spread.
“The promotion of air quality and the need to halt environmental pollution in the state is where the collaborative efforts of the agencies are needed.
“As a government, the state will continue to support every effort to sanitise the air in the city in order to reduce the rate of air born, water diseases that bear negatively on the health of the residents.’’
He said that the shortage of bed spaces in the state health centres had been a concern to the public, adding that the state has been working to tackle it headlong to give patients relief.
He said that with the construction of modern facilities across the state and the establishment of its medical research institution, the state would bridge the gap within 18 months to give the public the desired service.
