The management of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos (NOHIL), has expressed serious concerns over worsening infrastructural gaps, severe manpower shortages, and rising operational costs that threaten healthcare delivery at the institution. The management disclosed that the hospital currently operates at about 50 percent workforce capacity despite increasing patient demand and spends between N50 million and N60 million monthly on electricity. It also revealed that a proposed expansion of its Accident and Emergency Unit would require about N4 billion to complete and equip.
Call for Support
Speaking during a press conference ahead of the hospital’s 80th anniversary celebration, the Medical Director, Wakeel Lawal, called on the government, private organisations, philanthropists, and development partners to support the institution’s expansion drive and long-term vision of becoming a globally competitive orthopaedic centre. Lawal said the hospital, established in 1945 as a rehabilitation centre for soldiers injured during the Second World War, has grown into one of the leading orthopaedic hospitals in Nigeria and West Africa. He noted that the anniversary provides an opportunity to celebrate eight decades of resilience, innovation, and medical excellence, while also highlighting the challenges confronting the institution.
Evolution and Achievements
According to him, the hospital has evolved from a modest rehabilitation facility into a globally competitive centre for orthopaedics, trauma care, plastic and reconstructive surgery, rehabilitation, and specialised surgical procedures. He added that the institution has established subspecialties in joint replacement surgeries, minimally invasive spine surgeries, orthopaedic oncology, sports medicine, deformity correction, and plastic and reconstructive surgery. Lawal stated that the hospital now performs highly specialised orthopaedic procedures that previously compelled many Nigerians to seek treatment abroad, thereby helping to reduce medical tourism through the provision of quality healthcare locally.
The medical director further disclosed that more than 70 percent of orthopaedic surgeons in Nigeria were trained at the institution, making it one of the country’s leading centres for manpower development in orthopaedic medicine. He added that the hospital collaborates with international organisations, including Société Internationale de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de Traumatologie (SICOT) and ICOTS, to provide subspecialty training and advanced surgical exposure for Nigerian orthopaedic surgeons. Lawal also highlighted the institution’s contributions to healthcare education through its College of Nursing Sciences and the Federal College of Orthopaedic Technology. According to him, the College of Nursing Sciences is expected to graduate nearly 100 nursing students next year, while the Federal College of Orthopaedic Technology continues to train professionals in prosthetics, orthotics, and orthopaedic technology. He noted that the hospital remains one of the major centres in Nigeria involved in the fabrication of orthotic and prosthetic devices.
Challenges and Needs
Despite the achievements, Lawal lamented the enormous challenges confronting the institution, particularly inadequate infrastructure, funding constraints, staff shortages, and the high cost of healthcare operations. He explained that the hospital serves a population of more than 23 million people in Lagos, alongside patients from across the South-West and neighbouring West African countries. According to him, patient influx has increased significantly because of the hospital’s reputation and successful treatment outcomes, while several ongoing expansion projects are progressing slowly due to inadequate funding. The projects include expansion of the Accident and Emergency Unit, expansion of the General Outpatient Department, rehabilitation centre upgrades, completion of oxygen plant projects, development of nursing classrooms and student accommodation, expansion of theatre and surgical facilities, and construction of additional staff quarters.
Lawal disclosed that the Accident and Emergency expansion project would require about N4 billion to complete and equip, while the General Outpatient Department project would cost approximately N1.5 billion. He added that the oxygen plant project would require another N500 million for completion, while expansion of theatre facilities and surgical units could cost close to N2 billion. The medical director revealed that although two nursing hostels had been built through support from the Office of the Senior Special Assistant on Sustainable Development Goals, accommodation and classroom shortages persist because of the increasing number of nursing students admitted yearly. “The main vision of creating this hospital is to deliver healthcare. So it will be counterproductive for us to empty the hospital to accommodate students,” he said.
Workforce Retention and Energy Costs
Lawal also raised concerns over the growing challenge of retaining healthcare workers in Lagos due to the high cost of living and migration of trained personnel abroad or to states with lower living expenses. He disclosed that the hospital currently operates at about 50 percent workforce capacity, noting that although salaries remain uniform nationwide, workers in Lagos spend significantly more on transportation, accommodation, and daily living expenses. He appealed for special allowances for healthcare workers in high-cost cities such as Lagos. According to him, although some units have been solarised internally, many orthopaedic equipment and hospital facilities consume high energy because of the 24-hour nature of healthcare delivery.
Anniversary Activities
Also speaking, the Head of Clinical Services, Francis Nwachukwu, disclosed that the hospital would organise a comprehensive medical outreach as part of activities marking the anniversary. He said the outreach would include malaria screening, blood pressure checks, diabetes and cholesterol screening, basic health consultations, and orthopaedic assessments for joint pains, deformities, and back pain. According to Nwachukwu, patients requiring advanced orthopaedic care would be referred appropriately for further evaluation and treatment.
