Brain Drain: Lagos Govt Decries Shortfall Of 26,000 Doctors

The Lagos State government has revealed that its healthcare system requires 33,000 doctors to function efficiently, saying efforts were being made to address the 26,000-man shortfall in the number of doctors available in the state.

The state commissioner for Health Services, Prof Akin Abayomi, disclosed during a press briefing to commemorate the second year of the governor’s second term in office, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at Alausa, Ikeja, that the state currently has 7,000 doctors working in its hospitals.

The Commissioner noted that according to the World Health Organisation, the WHO standard, the doctor-to-patient ratio is expected to be one doctor to 200 people.

However, Abayomi stated that with an over 20 million-person population, Lagos currently has 7,000 doctors, saying, “We have a shortage of 33,000 doctors.”

He added that Nigeria has a shortage of 300,000 doctors, and at least 16,000 doctors have recently left the country.

Despite the challenges, the Commissioner stated that Lagos, as a subnational, is implementing healthcare initiatives to tackle the gap.

With over 18,000 staff across primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities, Abayomi stated, “We are poised to tackle the challenges of healthcare in the state.”

According to him, the state is taking cognisance of cutting-edge technology in its facilities, adding, “We are planning strategically to address brain drain and increase brain gain. We have improved the flow of funds into the health sector.

“We have turned the corner, and we have seen a reduction. We have seen professionals in the Diaspora coming to Lagos either permanently or coming and going. A lot of them are keying into our healthcare initiative.

They have seen Lagos as the next frontier in meeting our target.”

He added that, according to the statistics provided by the federal government, more than 16,000 doctors have left the shores of Nigeria in search of greener pastures.

He stressed that the state government is building climate-resilient facilities by considering the state’s unique topography, saying, “Many parts of Lagos are densely populated, so the facilities are heavily built with concrete, and others are built on landfills. So when we build, we consider all these.”

The Commissioner also hinted that the largest cancer centre in West Africa is located in Alausa, saying it is a comprehensive and special health facility for cancer patients.

According to the Commissioner, the state government will inaugurate three massive secondary hospitals at Ojo, Lagos Island, and Ketu-Ejirin in the next 12 months.