Lagos needs 30,000 family doctors to meet global standards – Commissioner

Akin Abayomim Lagos State commissioner for Health, has disclosed that the state requires about 30,000 family physicians to meet global standards but currently has only about 5,000.

Abayomi spoke at the relaunch and dedication of the new headquarters of QLife Family Clinic in Victoria Island, where he described family medicine as the cornerstone of an efficient healthcare system and hailed QLife as a model for patient-centred care.

“The mission of government is to bring the private sector into the spectrum of understanding of how we deliver healthcare in Lagos,” he said, adding that the Sanwo-Olu administration is creating an enabling environment for quality healthcare providers while weeding out substandard operators.

Delivering a keynote address titled ‘The Power of First Contact,’ the commissioner said nearly 80 percent of a community’s healthcare needs can be met through family medicine.

“I have a real regard for healthcare professionals that specialise in the discipline of family medicine,” he said. “Looking after the health of the citizenry… requires perhaps the highest level of skill and multiple dimensions around emotional intelligence, empathy and etiquette.”

He warned against bypassing primary healthcare providers in search of specialists. “When you bypass the family physician, the institution of family medicine, you’re actually exposing yourself to excessive cost and expense because that indeed is the foundation,” he said, recalling how his family’s physician in Ibadan knew his medical history “even on the phone, because he knew me and he knew the family.”

Abayomi described QLife as “the definition of the prototype of a good family medicine institution” and situated its growth within the broader healthcare reforms in Lagos.

He noted that Nigeria ranks 163rd out of 191 countries on global health performance indices, with over 70 percent of healthcare spending paid directly by patients. Comparing Lagos with Malaysia, he pointed to the need for stronger primary healthcare infrastructure and closer integration of private healthcare providers into the state’s planning framework.

The unveiling of QLife’s new headquarters also marked the healthcare institution’s 25th anniversary. Welcoming guests, Toyin Alakija, director of QLife Family Clinic and daughter of the founders, Funmi and Ade Alakija, described the event as the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.

“Today is more than the opening of a new building. It’s more than a relaunch. It’s more than a new chapter. Today is the celebration of a dream, a dream of dedication and an unwavering commitment to care,” she said.

According to her, the vision of the founders was to create a healthcare institution that placed people and families at its centre.

“They believed healthcare was more than just treating illnesses. They believed it was about understanding people, caring for families and providing the kind of quality healthcare that every person deserves,” she said, adding that the new facility preserves the values that built the organisation.

“The walls may be new, but the heart of QLife remains the same. The heart of QLife is the passion, excellence and dedication that Funmi and Ade Alakija poured into this institution for decades,” Alakija said. Reflecting on the clinic’s journey, she added, “Twenty-five years ago, the seed was planted. Today, the seed is blooming.”

Moving the vote of thanks, Alero Alakija, chairperson of the board of directors, paid tribute to the legacy of the founders, saying the institution was built on a foundation of excellence, service and courage.

“They showed us what it means to build well. They showed us what it means to care for the people you’re building with. They showed us what it means to bring quality to Nigeria, to Lagos, in the healthcare space,” she said.