Medical doctors in Lagos State under the umbrella of the Medical Guild on Wednesday called for a coordinated and system-wide response to the persistent “no bed” challenge that continues to hinder timely patient care across medical facilities in the state.
The Chairman of the Medical Guild, Dr. Moruf AbdulSalam, who stated this while speaking at the Guild’s Scientific Conference in on Wednesday, said the perceived scarcity of bed spaces and the complexities surrounding patient referrals remain “stark realities that significantly affect patient outcomes.”
According to Salami, tackling the no bed crisis must go beyond increasing bed numbers to addressing related barriers such as road traffic delays, rejection of referred patients, and inadequate inter-hospital communication.
“This conference represents our collective effort to confront these challenges head-on. We are exploring practical and collaborative solutions, leveraging technology, policy reforms and partnerships, to build a referral network that ensures no patient is left stranded,” he said.
AbdulSalam said the conference theme, ‘The No-Bed Conundrum and Safe Referrals: Exploring an Effective Referral System in Lagos,’ reflects the Guild’s commitment to supporting improvements in the state’s healthcare delivery.
“We see it as our duty, both as doctors and advocates for our patients, to contribute meaningfully to solving the systemic issues affecting healthcare in Lagos,” he noted.
On the ongoing nationwide strike by resident doctors, AbdulSalam urged the Federal Government to address all outstanding issues.
“I plead with the government to accede to the 19-point demands of the resident doctors. Services have shut down nationwide because the state has failed the basic test of caring for its caregivers,” he added.
