SANWO-OLU: LAGOS NEEDS 40,000 MORE DOCTORS TO MEET HEALTHCARE DEMAND

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By:Tajudeen Aminat

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has disclosed that the state is facing a shortage of about 40,000 doctors and another 40,000 nurses, warning that the healthcare sector also requires at least ₦100 billion more than its current budget to adequately serve its growing population.

The governor made this known on Thursday while declaring open the second Eko Health Convention at the Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu also revealed that over 1.5 million Lagos residents have enrolled in the state’s health insurance scheme, Ilera Eko, as part of efforts to expand access to quality healthcare.

He identified the shortage of healthcare professionals and inadequate funding as the two major challenges facing the state’s health system, noting that international donor support for disease control programmes has continued to decline.

“Lagos needs about 40,000 doctors to serve this population properly. We have about 7,000. We need roughly 40,000 more nurses. Every doctor in Lagos today is, in effect, doing the work of 10,” he said.

On funding, the governor added that the healthcare sector requires significantly more resources than currently available.

“The second gap is money. There is a shortfall of at least ₦100 billion between what our health budget provides and what this system genuinely requires.

“Donor financing, which supported much of our disease control for two decades, is contracting sharply and will not return in its old form,” he said.

To address the workforce deficit, Sanwo-Olu said the state had intensified the recruitment of healthcare personnel, improved welfare packages and was working towards establishing a University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

According to him, the government recently opened recruitment into all 29 secondary healthcare facilities and has also provided accommodation for health workers to improve retention and attract professionals back into the state.

Highlighting progress in health insurance coverage, the governor said compulsory social health insurance has continued to expand since the domestication of the National Health Insurance Authority Act.

“As of the end of May, 1,502,994 Lagosians were enrolled in Ilera Eko, with more than half of them being women. Rising utilisation shows that coverage is translating into actual access to healthcare,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu also disclosed that the Lagos State Health Management Agency’s Assistance in Distress programme has saved 18 lives since it became operational in March by providing emergency care for victims of road traffic accidents, surgical emergencies, obstetric complications and stroke cases regardless of their ability to pay.

He added that the government is leveraging technology to strengthen healthcare delivery through the Lagos Smart Health Information Platform, which will enable seamless access to patients’ medical records across public health facilities, improve disease surveillance and support evidence-based planning.

The governor said the state is equally investing in artificial intelligence and digital innovation to enhance diagnosis, medical imaging and overall healthcare delivery.

Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to long-term reforms, Sanwo-Olu said initiatives such as Ilera Eko, the health district system and the digital health platform were designed to outlive his tenure.

“We have kept our promises. Now we are building the systems that will keep them long after us,” he said.