The wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr Claudiana Sanwo-Olu, and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have called for improved doctors’ welfare to strengthen healthcare delivery.
They made the call at the NMA Lagos State Chapter’s Physicians’ Week symposium, themed “Securing the Future of Medicine in Nigeria,” on Tuesday in Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu said doctors’ physical and mental well-being was essential to quality healthcare, urging stakeholders to provide safe workplaces, adequate rest and access to appropriate medical care.
“The well-being of physicians is not a luxury. It is essential to the quality, safety and sustainability of healthcare delivery,” she said.
She recalled doctors’ sacrifices during the COVID-19 pandemic and Ebola outbreak, urging stakeholders to translate their contributions into practical measures that protect healthcare professionals.
The governor’s wife expressed concern over medical migration, saying Nigeria risked losing its investment in training doctors who subsequently left the country to practise abroad.
She advocated a holistic approach to doctors’ welfare, including improved housing, education, transportation and other social amenities affecting medical professionals and their families.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the NMA Lagos State Chapter, Prof. Kehinde Okunade, said Physicians’ Week provided an opportunity to examine challenges confronting the profession and develop solutions with relevant stakeholders.
“Securing the future of medicine requires us to save the saviours: the doctors who are responsible for saving other people’s lives,” Okunade said.
He called for improved remuneration, career progression and workplace safety, adding that the government, private sector and the public must support efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery.
Okunade urged doctors to remain patriotic while emphasising that they should not have to struggle to meet basic needs or repeatedly embark on strikes to secure better welfare.
A Professor of Psychiatry and Public Mental Health at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Prof. Olurotimi Coker, called for urgent attention to physicians’ mental health.
Speaking on “Saving the Saviours,” Coker said doctors experienced stress, burnout and depression, which could contribute to chronic illnesses and suicide.
“Doctors are often so busy caring for others that they neglect their own health,” he said, urging physicians to seek medical attention when necessary.
He attributed burnout to staff shortages, inadequate equipment, poor leadership and prolonged work-related stress, warning that these challenges could compromise patient care.
Coker said burnout could contribute to medical errors and negligence, while doctors’ migration further widened the gap between available professionals and patients.
He urged doctors to explore entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence and telemedicine to diversify their income, while speakers called for practical measures to improve welfare and retain skilled professionals.
The event also featured a panel discussion during which experts highlighted strategies to improve healthcare delivery and health outcomes, urging doctors to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to ease their workload.
