Lagos medical university to boost production of healthcare professionals – Abayomi
On Saturday, December 14, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, shared exciting plans for the Lagos University of Medicine and Health Sciences, which is set to increase the production of medical professionals in the state.
At the groundbreaking ceremony for the Lagos Medipark project, Mr. Abayomi explained that the new university would help combat the ongoing brain drain by making Lagos an attractive destination for aspiring healthcare workers. “We’re creating the brain gain by making Lagos attractive, and we’re producing a lot more medical professionals over the next three years,” he said.
The university, which has already been approved by the Lagos State Executive Council (SEC) and is awaiting approval from the House of Assembly, will train doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, and other allied health professionals. According to Mr. Abayomi, the university is expected to produce 2,500 medical professionals over the next five to six years to meet the needs of projects like the Medipark.
The upgrade of Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) to the University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMH) was approved in October. The university will be supported by several clinical training facilities, including the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), which will serve as the primary clinical training site.
A large plot of land in Ketu-Ejirin, Epe, will be developed as the university’s main campus, which will house administrative buildings and basic medical science programs. The clinical training will be conducted at LASUTH and other designated facilities across the state.
Mr. Abayomi also highlighted the Lagos Medipark project, a public-private partnership between the Lagos State Government and IASO Medipark Limited. The Medipark, located on Awolowo Road in Ikoyi, is expected to include a 140-bed multi-specialist hospital, state-of-the-art diagnostics center, residential spaces, training facilities, and commercial medical outlets.
The Medipark project aims to address Nigeria’s significant healthcare infrastructure deficit, with Lagos alone facing a shortage of 10% of the country’s 40,000-bed deficit. In addition, the state has implemented a virtual bed strategy, which uses modern technology to create virtual hospital beds, helping reduce the need for physical hospital expansion.
The Medipark project is aligned with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s executive order to integrate healthcare into the mainstream economy, attracting more investments through collaborations with the private sector.
