In commemoration of World Patient Safety Day 2025, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has called for urgent measures to safeguard children, cautioning that Nigeria’s deepening brain drain is worsening the healthcare crisis and undermining pediatric safety and care.

Stakeholders at LUTH stressed that patient safety depends not only on policies and infrastructure but also on the availability of skilled personnel to implement them.

They cautioned that unless government and policymakers act quickly to stem the tide of migration and strengthen the culture of safety, children will remain exposed to preventable harm within the country’s fragile health system.

A Consultant Neonatologist and Professor of Pediatrics at LUTH, Prof. Iretiola Fajolu, explained that children are not miniature adults but require highly specialized care adapted to their size and developmental stage. She warned that even a single safety incident could permanently alter a child’s life.

Fajolu lamented that weak health systems, coupled with the exodus of doctors, nurses, and other professionals abroad, are leaving newborns and children increasingly vulnerable to unsafe care. Citing global studies, she said more than 50 per cent of patient harm is preventable, yet misdiagnosis, infections, communication lapses, and medication errors remain widespread. She noted that these risks multiply in the absence of skilled health personnel at the bedside.

Nigeria has been grappling with an escalating wave of medical brain drain, with thousands of professionals leaving annually in search of better pay and improved working conditions. Experts at the forum warned that the trend poses a major threat to sustaining safety reforms, particularly in pediatric and neonatal care units, where replacing skilled specialists is not easy.

The Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, also emphasized the urgency of action. He said patient safety must be regarded as a right rather than a privilege, noting that hospitals exist because of patients, and the reputation of health institutions rests on the people, from doctors and nurses to technicians and cleaners who provide daily care.

While commending government efforts to invest in infrastructure and training, Adeyemo cautioned that such progress would be undermined if the workforce continues to leave. According to him, retaining health professionals is vital to sustaining quality and safe care delivery.

The event also featured emotional testimonies from mothers whose children had been treated in LUTH’s neonatal intensive care unit. One of them, Mrs. Felicia Ojo, whose son was born prematurely at 26 weeks weighing just 900 grams, shared her experience as both challenging and rewarding. She recalled her fears that her son might not survive but praised the dedication of doctors and nurses who guided her through. Today, she said, her son is thriving at three years old.