Akeem Lasisi Urges ICU Investment to Avoid Health Crisis

Professor Akeem Lasisi, the vice chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila Orangun, Osun State, warned that Nigeria risks a return to the critical-care challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic unless the intensive-care system is urgently strengthened. Speaking in Ibadan at the 70th birthday and valedictory programme for Associate Professor Arinola Sanusi, he highlighted serious limitations in Nigeria's ICU capacity, including insufficient beds and ventilators.

Lasisi emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the country's critical-care deficiencies and called for greater investment in this area. He noted that research should inform healthcare policy, with evidence from studies on ICU capacity guiding government decisions for future health emergencies.

Lasisi reviewed approximately 55 of Sanusi's publications, noting that half focused on critically ill patients and 30% on specialized anaesthesia, underscoring the significance of her review of ICU services in Nigeria. He described Sanusi as a “trainer of trainers” and encouraged younger doctors to learn from her approach.