By Editor
One hundred years after its establishment, the Medical Guild, Lagos State, has warned that Nigeria must not repeat the failures exposed by the Ebola outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic, urging the government to strengthen emergency preparedness while addressing the welfare of doctors.
The Guild specifically called for adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, improved hospital infrastructure and better working conditions, warning that shortages of essential materials could undermine the response to another public health emergency.
Its Chairman, Dr Oluwole Olusanya, spoke as the association marked its centenary, recalling the contributions of Lagos doctors to containing Nigeria’s first Ebola outbreak in 2014 and stressing the need to preserve the lessons learned from the crisis.
“One important lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic was that Nigeria was caught unprepared in terms of personal protective equipment. There were shortages of gloves, face masks and other protective materials.
“We therefore urge the government to ensure that all the equipment and supplies needed to respond effectively to an Ebola outbreak are available. We pray that such an outbreak does not occur in Lagos, but we must be prepared,” he said.
Beyond emergency preparedness, the Guild called for a special salary package for doctors working in Lagos, arguing that the state’s high cost of living, rising rents, traffic congestion and overcrowding warranted a distinct remuneration structure.
Olusanya said the welfare package should include tax concessions, housing benefits, car loans and improved hospital facilities to attract and retain skilled medical professionals.
“Lagos is a unique state. It has a large population within a relatively small land area, resulting in challenges such as overcrowding, traffic congestion and rising house rents.
“We believe the salaries of workers, particularly those who depend on a single source of income, should reflect the high cost of living and the peculiar challenges of working in Lagos,” he said.
The association also demanded full implementation of the Professional Allowance Table, PAT, and Specialist Allowance, payment of outstanding arrears and correction of discrepancies affecting eligible medical and dental practitioners.
Olusanya identified outstanding payments to eligible Senior Registrar I officers under the Specialist Allowance Table as one of the issues requiring urgent attention. He urged relevant ministries and agencies to reconcile the records and ensure that qualified beneficiaries received their entitlements.
The Guild further called for timely implementation in Lagos of relevant outcomes from ongoing federal-level collective bargaining discussions, subject to necessary state approvals.
On doctors’ accommodation, the association renewed its demand for improved residential facilities at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, and the House Officers’ quarters at General Hospital Lagos, Odan.
It cited the death of Dr Vwaere Diaso, a young house officer who died following a lift collapse at the Odan facility, as a painful reminder of the consequences of inadequate safety standards.
The Guild called for comprehensive safety assessments, professional certification of critical installations, effective maintenance and accountability before doctors’ residential facilities were declared fit for occupation.
Olusanya said improved welfare, safe accommodation and well-equipped hospitals were critical to doctors’ motivation, professional dignity and retention in the state’s healthcare system.
He also identified artificial intelligence and telemedicine as emerging tools that could reduce doctors’ workloads and improve service delivery, while stressing that technology alone could not replace investments in healthcare infrastructure and personnel.
Founded in 1926, the Medical Guild represents doctors and dentists employed in Lagos State-owned primary healthcare centres, general hospitals, specialist institutions and tertiary healthcare facilities.
Its centenary theme is “100 Years of Healthcare Delivery: Celebrating the Past, Transforming the Present, Shaping the Future.”
The opening ceremony and scientific conference will hold on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at the Marriott Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, while the celebrations will end with a gala and awards night on Friday, October 30, at Highpoint Event Centre, Agidingbi, Lagos.
Olusanya said the milestone should be measured not merely by celebrations but by lasting improvements in healthcare delivery and the welfare of medical practitioners.
“One hundred years behind us. A greater responsibility before us. An enduring commitment to Lagosians,” he said.
