By Desire Uzochukwu
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Medical Guild, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, and former National President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Senator Francis Faduyile, have called for stronger healthcare reforms, improved doctors’ welfare and greater medical professionals’ participation in policymaking as the Guild marks its centenary.
Speaking at the anniversary celebration in Lagos, Fabamwo urged stakeholders to build on the state’s healthcare achievements by improving doctors’ working conditions and ensuring quality services for residents.
He said Lagos had developed one of Africa’s most complex healthcare systems, serving an estimated population of 30 million people through approximately 350 public healthcare facilities and more than 3,500 private establishments.
Tracing the development of organised healthcare in Lagos, Fabamwo identified the 1924 bubonic plague outbreak as a defining moment that exposed weaknesses in the city’s medical infrastructure and prompted stronger public health interventions.
He said the outbreak recorded 1,947 cases and 1,813 deaths between 1924 and 1931, representing a case fatality rate of approximately 93 per cent.
According to him, the crisis helped reshape public health administration and reinforced the importance of disease prevention, environmental health and community-based interventions.
Fabamwo said the Medical Guild, established in March 1926, had played a significant role in representing doctors employed by the Lagos State Government, promoting professional solidarity and advocating improvements in healthcare delivery.
Despite the progress recorded, he warned against complacency and called for sustained advocacy to strengthen the health system.
“The question before us is how we can build on the progress already made and ensure that doctors in Lagos State enjoy better working conditions while the people receive quality healthcare,” he said.
Also speaking, Faduyile urged Nigerian doctors to move beyond criticising government policies and participate actively in partisan politics to influence decisions affecting healthcare delivery.
The senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District said medical professionals must contribute their expertise where policies are formulated rather than wait until decisions are made before highlighting their shortcomings.
“One important change we need to make is to move from being commentators on the sidelines to becoming active participants in politics and policymaking,” he said.
Faduyile noted that although more doctors were occupying legislative positions, the profession needed to do more to influence policies affecting healthcare and patients’ welfare.
“As a senator, I am using this opportunity to emphasise that, as we celebrate this centenary, it is important for medical professionals to take a step further by becoming actively involved in partisan politics,” he said.
He also challenged stakeholders to assess whether the improvements recorded in Lagos had translated into better working conditions for doctors and quality services for patients.
“Despite the achievements we are celebrating, can we honestly say we have arrived? Can we say we have done enough for the people we serve?” he asked.
Faduyile urged doctors to reflect on the legacy they intended to leave behind, stressing that the centenary should inspire renewed efforts to transform healthcare delivery.
“As a pathologist, I understand that death is inevitable. Whether we participate in politics or remain outside it, none of us will live forever. In another 100 years, we will all have passed on. What matters is the legacy we leave behind,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government acknowledged the need to improve doctors’ welfare, working conditions and staff retention amid the growing migration of healthcare professionals abroad, popularly known as the japa syndrome.
The Deputy Governor, Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, represented by Dr Ibrahim Akinwunmi Mustapha, said government decisions on healthcare financing, workforce development and resource allocation directly affected doctors and service delivery.
“While recognising the progress made, we must also acknowledge the need to do more to address the evolving needs and legitimate expectations of our doctors,” Mustapha said.
He said the government remained committed to engaging the Guild on sustainable measures to improve welfare, retain skilled professionals and strengthen healthcare delivery.
Mustapha, who is also Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, disclosed that about 34 per cent of wards reportedly lacked primary healthcare centres, while only 28 per cent of the primary healthcare workforce served rural areas.
He said the state renovated 49 primary healthcare centres in 2025 and 2026 and was developing four prototype facilities to improve service delivery and emergency preparedness.
The state had 329 doctors, 917 midwives and 1,446 skilled birth attendants at the primary healthcare level, while 81 centres provided round-the-clock services and 347 had doctor coverage.
Mustapha identified uneven workforce distribution, funding, governance and service coordination as persistent challenges, adding that sustained investment was needed to improve access and health outcomes.
The centenary celebration highlighted the need to build on a century of professional advocacy through improved doctors’ welfare, stronger healthcare institutions and greater involvement of medical professionals in shaping policies that affect the health sector.cal Guild @ 100: Fabamwo Urges Better Welfare for Lagos Doctors
