Lagos doctors set health agenda for Sanwo-Olu

Kasara Chukwuma, Lagos

Medical doctors under the employ of Lagos state government have developed a comprehensive health agenda for the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urging him to employ more health workers.

The guild in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Dr. Babajide Saheed and Dr. Opeyemi Aiyegbo respectively, called on the governor to focus on the development of the health sector, which the guild said was part of his administration’s six rules of development.

According to the guild, the health sector is an important sector in the socio- economic development of the state, urging the governor to make the provision of affordable, accessible and qualitative healthcare to Lagosians a primary importance of his administration as it was critical to the attainment of a developed society.

Chairman of the guild, Dr. Saheed said the governor can develop the state’s health sector by employing more health workers to replace staff that left the system and to meet the healthcare needs of the increasing population of Lagos.

“We believe this should be a continuous process. Focusing on infrastructural development in the health sector with the provision of standard and well -equipped primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions in the state is also critical.

“This will enable the provision of qualitative healthcare which will meet the international standards. Increment in the retirement age of medical doctors from 60 years to 65 years with cessation of contract appointments to allow experienced hands to continue to provide useful service, thus enhancing quality of healthcare,” he said.

The guild chairman also asked Sanwo- Olu to convoke a health summit to deliberate on issues affecting the health sector in the state, in relation to human resources, professional activities, infrastructural development and administrative issues among the agencies in the sector.

This according to him would bring synergy among these agencies and further enhance healthcare delivery and further enjoined the governor to make the provision of welfare packages to health workers a priority, stressing that good welfare packages would encourage and increase the efficiency of health workers in the provision of services to the populace.