Lagos HSC Meets Heads Of Pharmacy Departments To Address Workforce Challenges

The Lagos State Health Service Commission (HSC) on Sunday held a meeting with Heads of Pharmacy Departments from the state’s 29 General Hospitals to discuss challenges affecting service delivery and explore measures to improve healthcare performance across public hospitals.

The meeting, held at the Commission’s Conference Room provided an opportunity for the pharmacists to present their concerns and seek the intervention of the newly inaugurated Commission members.

Addressing the gathering, Chairman of the Health Service Commission, Dr. Olukayode Oguntimehin, urged pharmacists to strengthen collaboration with other healthcare professionals, stressing that teamwork remains critical to quality patient care.

“We have to work as a unit and as a team with other professionals, without which we cannot help patients,” Oguntimehin said.

He also challenged the pharmacists to expand their role beyond dispensing medications by embracing innovation and professionalism.

“Move away from just dispensing drugs, but be more innovative, vibrant and always putting in your best as a Unit, in a way that others will come to see us, that this is Lagos, the true Centre of Excellence,” he said.

The chairman added that the Commission was committed to laying a solid foundation that would strengthen healthcare delivery across the state.

“At the end of our tenure we would have set a pathway that things work the way they should,” he added.

Commissioner III, Dr. (Pharm.) Moyosore Wuraola Adejumo, who represents pharmacists on the Commission, advocated reforms that would restore best practices and improve the profession’s working conditions.

She urged the Commission “to do all within its power at ensuring a return of old ways where things work accordingly.”

During the meeting, the pharmacists highlighted several challenges affecting their operations, including shortage of personnel, fee-paying arrangements, dedicated accounts, training and capacity building, standardisation of pharmacy structures, inadequate workspace, poor working conditions and staff welfare.

Following the discussions, the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Mrs. Modupe Bakare, was directed to prepare an annual needs assessment for pharmacists, develop a standardised orientation programme for newly recruited pharmacists and strengthen public awareness initiatives to better promote the Commission’s activities.

Other Commission members present at the meeting included Commissioner I, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye; Commissioner II, Dr. ‘Laja Odunuga; Commissioner IV, Dr. (Nurse) Ololade Omolayo Fadipe; while the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Omololu, was represented by the Director of Medical Services, Dr. Olawale Adegbite.

The meeting concluded with the presentation of gift items to members of the Commission and the Permanent Secretary’s representative.