…Seeks urgent summit to fix health system ‘from policy to patient’
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State Branch, has countered the Lagos State Government’s denial of salary deductions affecting doctors, insisting that the state has been making illegal deductions from medical professionals’ pay since April 2025.
Chairman of the association, Dr. Babajide Kehinde Saheed, who made the claim on Monday at a press briefing to mark the commencement of the 2025 Physicians’ Week at the NMA Lagos Secretariat, Surulere, said that despite an earlier refund, the deductions resumed in September, creating discontent among doctors in the state.
Saheed said the deductions were “unjustified and unacceptable,” calling on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, described as “a doctor-friendly leader,” to intervene urgently, as the issue is “hurting his image among health workers.”
“These deductions are illegal, and we are calling on the state government to reverse them immediately. The denial by the Commissioner for Establishments and Training is untrue, and we appeal to the governor to personally wade in,” Saheed said.
The NMA chairman also criticised the management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for failing to provide call-duty meals for doctors, noting that those on long or overnight shifts should not have to worry about food or water while caring for patients.
“A doctor on call should not have to think about food while saving lives. Welfare issues directly affect performance, and this negligence must be addressed,” he said.
Earlier, on September 16, 2025, the Lagos State Government denied the allegations through a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) titled “LASG Refutes Salary Deduction Claims by NMA”.
In the statement, the Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo, explained that the brief discrepancies in payments were caused by “administrative adjustments” to align salaries with doctors’ actual entitlements under a transparent remuneration framework.
“At no point did the State Government deliberately reduce or deduct salaries. What was observed was part of an internal process to ensure that doctors receive exactly what is due to them based on agreed terms. All affected doctors have now been fully refunded,” Ayantayo said.
The Commissioner added that going forward, salaries would reflect the final agreement reached between the Lagos State Government and the Medical Guild, providing clarity and stability to the payment system.
He further stressed that Lagos doctors remain the highest paid in Nigeria’s public healthcare system, noting that the government has gone beyond the Guild’s demands by ensuring prompt payment of salaries, improving hospital infrastructure, and funding capacity-building programmes.
Ayantayo urged the NMA and other stakeholders to focus on constructive engagement, rather than public statements that “may mislead or create unnecessary tension” among health workers and the public.
Beyond the welfare dispute, the Lagos NMA used the occasion to demand comprehensive reforms across Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
Saheed said inefficiency, poor funding, and neglect have continued to cripple healthcare delivery “from policy to patient,” despite multiple government interventions and reform initiatives.
Speaking on this year’s theme, “Healthcare as a Value Chain: Building Efficiency from Policy to Patient,” he said there is a pressing need to strengthen every aspect of the healthcare delivery process, from policy formulation to patient care.
“The healthcare value chain connects all processes that create value for patients, providers, and policymakers. Yet, inefficiencies persist at almost every level,” he noted.
“We need strong political will, sustainable health financing, local drug manufacturing, and policies that reward performance and retention.”
He urged the Federal and State Governments to convene an urgent health sector summit to harmonise existing policies with current realities, address welfare issues, and ensure that health workers are adequately compensated.
The NMA Lagos boss also lamented the mass exodus of Nigerian doctors to other countries, describing it as a national emergency that threatens the country’s health security.
He said many professionals are leaving because of poor welfare conditions, weak infrastructure, and policy inconsistencies, warning that unless deliberate efforts are made to improve the work environment, the situation will worsen.
“Our doctors are leaving in large numbers because they no longer see a future here. Without motivated and adequately supported personnel, no health system can thrive,” he said.
The association further demanded the full payment of outstanding skipping arrears and the immediate provision of call-duty meals in tertiary hospitals to ensure doctors on night and emergency shifts are adequately catered for.
It also urged the state government to review the 2006 Lagos State Health Sector Reform Law to address modern realities and promote efficiency within the system.
In addition, the NMA called for the implementation of structured two-term tenures for Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors to enhance leadership stability in the health sector.
The association also emphasized the need to protect salary relativity across all health cadres and to reverse the recent pay reductions affecting doctors in the state.
This year’s event also explores the role of emerging technologies in healthcare under the sub-theme, “AI Ethics and the Physician’s Role in Modern Healthcare.”
Speakers include Dr. Arogundade, President of the Society for Telemedicine and e-Health in Nigeria, and Dr. Achese Inimgba, founder of Medienna, who will discuss how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping medicine and the ethical issues it raises in developing nations.
Saheed noted that while AI offers new opportunities, Nigeria must address fairness, privacy, transparency, and accountability challenges in its application.
“Physicians must become AI-literate and interpret algorithmic outputs responsibly. Technology should support, not replace, human judgment in patient care,” he said.
The 2025 Physicians’ Week commenced with a Thanksgiving Service at the Chapel of Saint Luke the Physician, LASUTH, Ikeja.
The opening ceremony and scientific conference will be chaired by former Lagos Commissioner for Health and Education, Dr. Adeleke Pitan, while the keynote address will be delivered by Prof. Akin Osibogun, former Chief Medical Director of LUTH and past President of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.
Reaffirming the NMA’s commitment to advocacy and reform, Saheed concluded that fixing Nigeria’s healthcare system requires policy coherence and political will.
“Doctors are the engine of the health system. When they suffer, the system suffers. Fixing healthcare must begin from policy and end with the patient,” he said.