…targets medication errors, poor referrals, diagnostic delays
By Kingsley Samuel
The Lagos State Government has moved to strengthen patient safety in the treatment of non-communicable diseases, NCDs, with greater attention to clinical governance, medication safety, early diagnosis, referrals and continuity of care.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, disclosed this at the 2026 World Patient Safety Day commemoration organised by the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, HEFAMAA, at NECA House, Alausa, Ikeja.
Ogunyemi said patients living with hypertension, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, sickle cell disease and chronic respiratory conditions require healthcare that is not only accessible and effective but consistently safe throughout their lifetime.
According to her, the long-term nature of NCD treatment exposes patients to several potential safety risks because their care often involves repeated consultations, diagnostic tests, medications, referrals and follow-up.
She said: “That is why patient safety must remain a fundamental component of healthcare delivery in Lagos State.”
Ogunyemi disclosed that the state had inaugurated the Lagos State Task Force on Clinical Governance and Patient Safety to develop a statewide framework, establish minimum safety standards and strengthen incident reporting and learning.
She said the task force would also improve complaints and redress mechanisms and develop quality and patient-safety indicators.
Identifying diagnostic and medication safety, referral systems, continuity of care and patient-provider communication as areas requiring sustained attention, Ogunyemi said the government was also deploying technology to improve coordination across the health system.
She said the Smart Health Information Platform, SHIP, was expected to support better information flow and continuity of care.
She added: “An informed patient is not merely a recipient of healthcare. The patient is a partner in safe care.”
Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Health, Hon. Musbau Aina Lawal, also called for stronger regulation and health systems to guarantee safe and quality care.
Lawal said: “Safe care does not happen by chance. It requires strong health systems, competent and ethical healthcare professionals, reliable medicines and equipment, effective referral mechanisms, accurate information and meaningful patient participation.”
He described patient safety as a shared responsibility involving government, healthcare professionals, regulators, patients and communities.
Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Dayo Lajide, said adequate infrastructure, qualified personnel, functional equipment, essential medicines, reliable medical records and effective clinical protocols were necessary for patient safety.
According to her, regulation should go beyond identifying violations to driving improvements in healthcare delivery.
She said quality and safety should become the responsibility of healthcare providers rather than standards imposed only by regulators.
Chairman, HEFAMAA Board, Dr Yemisi Solanke-Koya, said the commemoration coincided with the agency’s 20th anniversary, providing an opportunity to assess two decades of healthcare regulation in the state.
She said HEFAMAA had expanded beyond inspection to registration, monitoring, accreditation, licensing, enforcement and quality improvement.
Solanke-Koya said: “A regulator that stops evolving stops being relevant to the system it regulates.”
Executive Secretary of HEFAMAA, Dr Victoria Egunjobi, said regulation must ultimately translate into better outcomes for patients.
She said: “Regulation is not an end in itself. It is a means of ensuring that patients receive care that is safe, effective and delivered with dignity.”
Egunjobi said the agency would continue to develop a proactive, risk-based and data-driven regulatory system while working with healthcare providers, professional bodies, development partners and patients to identify safety gaps and strengthen accountability.
Meanwhile, Consultant Nephrologist at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Dr Ajibola Sanda, identified late detection, medication-related harm, poor follow-up and communication failures as major threats to safe NCD treatment.
Sanda called for early screening, accurate diagnosis, medication reconciliation, appropriate referrals and effective follow-up.
He also urged health workers to communicate with patients in language they understand and advocated a system where errors and near misses are reported and studied to prevent recurrence rather than concentrating solely on punishment.
Representing the World Health Organisation State Representative, Cluster Supervisor, Dr Opeyemi Ogundinmu, said patients with chronic diseases were particularly vulnerable to diagnostic delays, medication errors and fragmented healthcare because they often receive prolonged treatment from multiple providers.
He said WHO remained committed to supporting Lagos in strengthening patient-safety systems and evidence-based NCD care.
Experts at a panel session also advocated a non-blaming “just culture” that encourages health workers to report and learn from errors.
They identified patient education, medication safety, effective referrals, multidisciplinary care and continuous professional development as critical to reducing avoidable harm.
Patients living with chronic conditions, who also shared their experiences at the event, called for affordable treatment, access to quality medicines, respectful communication and better continuity of care.
They particularly urged wider deployment of digital health records to ensure that vital patient information follows individuals as they move between healthcare facilities and providers.
