Lagos deficient by 30,000 medical doctors – Commissioner

Akin Abayomi, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, says the state health sector is deficient by 30,000 medical doctors to service its health needs.

Abayomi made the disclosure on Wednesday at the ongoing 2024 Clean-Air Forum in Lagos.

According to him, the dearth of medical doctors in the state has continued to overstretch the available officials in bridging the gap in the available doctor-to-patient ratio.

The commissioner said that brain drain contributed to the personnel deficient.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event is to arouse public consciousness on air quality and the impact of pollution.

The event, which has “Advancing Collaborations and Multi-regional Partnerships for Clean Air Actions in African Cities” as its theme, was organised by the University of Lagos, AirQo, the Makerelere University, Uganda with support from the Lagos government.

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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

According to him, the state is in dire need of medical doctors to cater for the increasing Medicare of the smart 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.