The Lagos State Government has revealed that the state needs an additional 33,000 doctors and another 33,000 nurses to provide adequate medical services to residents.

Speaking on Wednesday at the ongoing ministerial press briefing to mark the second year of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in office, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, stated that there are 7,000 doctors in Lagos, but the state needs 33,000 more doctors and an equal number of nurses.

“There is an urgent demand to exponentially increase quality healthcare professionals in Nigeria. There is an urgent demand to exponentially increase quality healthcare professionals in Nigeria.”

Abayomi, however, said that the state government is working at bridging the gap through the state University of Medicine and Health (UMH).

“Within 5 years, UMH will produce about 2,500 healthcare workers (HCWs) annually in Lagos State. Other cadres will include laboratory scientists,” the commissioner stated.

According to the commissioner, only 1,252,959 have taken up a health insurance policy with the state health insurance agency, disclosing that only 4.17 per cent of the population has registered so far, while 419 health facilities are providing services under the health insurance scheme.

The commissioner was optimistic that the new mandatory nature of the state health insurance act would significantly scale up the size of the pool of funds for the State Health Insurance Scheme.

Abayomi disclosed that the New Massey Street 150-bed Children’s Specialist Referral Hospital being constructed in Lagos Island is 70 per cent completed; the 280-bed Ojo General Hospital and Staff Quarters in Iba, Ojo, is 75 per cent completed, while the Mental Health Institute in Epe is 65 per cent completed.

The commissioner stated that all three health facilities will be commissioned for use in April 2026.