THE Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association says it will work closely with   the newly elected Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to deliver quality healthcare in the state.

The association’s Chairman, Dr Saliu Oseni, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

NAN reports that Sanwo-Olu, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, was on March 10 declared the winner of the governorship election held on Saturday, March 9.

Oseni said that the association would support the newly-elected governor and his wife, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, to ensure they succeed in leadership.

According to him, Dr Sanwo-Olu, a medical doctor, had experience in the state’s health sector; based on that, she will be in the right position to put issues bordering on the sector to her husband.

“We believe we will be able to work with them; more so that the wife is one of us.

“She is a very active person in the NMA Lagos and we believe together, they will be able to deliver the best to the health family and healthcare delivery in the state.

“We should be able to move healthcare delivery in Lagos forward having been in government, related with our association and relatively familiar with issues that has to do with our profession, “ he said.

The NMA chairman said that the governor-elect had shown his interest in ensuring that healthcare delivery in the state was much improved.

Oseni said: “Usually, we need the will to be able to get things done; so, I believe that he has the will.

“Also, with the little input and mutual relationship with the medical profession and other health associations, we should be able to move the health system in the state forward. “

Also, the Chairman, Lagos Chapter of the Medical Guild, Dr Babajide Saheed, urged the newly elected governor to ensure that there was training and re-training of healthcare professionals.

Medical Guild is the association of doctors employed under the Lagos State Government.

Saheed said: “No doctor in the state has been trained and retrained for over eight years in spite of new developments in the medical profession including technology.

“Health workers should be trained in order to be updated with new developments, so as to bring about quality healthcare delivery in the state.

“A health worker who has not been undergoing training is dangerous to the health system.”

The guild’s chairman also raised concerns over the shortage of doctors and other health professionals in the state.

He urged the newly elected governor to ensure that more health workers were recruited to meet up with the increasing population in the state.

“We also expect to see improvements in the sector in terms of employment of health workers, including doctors,” Saheed said. (NAN)

– Mar. 12, 2019 @ 12:05 GMT |