*WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE CHAIRMAN, GUILD OF MEDICAL DIRECTORS, LAGOS STATE BRANCH DR OMONIYI FAGBEMI AT THE 2026 SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE HELD ON 2 OCTOBER 2026 AT ORIENTAL HOTEL V.I. LAGOS.
1. PROTOCOL
All protocols duly observed.
2. WELCOME
Good morning distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
It is with great joy and a deep sense of honour that I welcome you all to the 2026 Scientific Conference of the Guild of Medical Directors, Lagos State Branch.
Our focus this year is both timely and critical.
Our Main Theme is: Emergency Preparedness for Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases.
Presenter: Dr. Folarin Opawoye
Our Sub-themes are:
– Infection Prevention and Control: The Role of Private Healthcare Services – Dr. Olayemi Dawodu
– Systems, Strategy and Leadership for a Scalable Healthcare Enterprise – Dr. Ayobami Kuyoro
3. ABOUT THE GUILD
For the benefit of our distinguished guests, the Guild of Medical Directors is an association of owners and directors of private medical facilities in Lagos State.
We are bound by a common passion: a commitment to quality, to the ethics of medicare, and to the business of medicine.
Our goal is to ensure that private practice in Lagos is both clinically excellent and sustainably profitable.
To that end, we have resolved that all members must be enrolled in a quality improvement programme, with SafeCare Level 3 (of 5) as the minimum standard after a period of grace. It is with pride that I note that the only SafeCare Level 5 certified facility in Lagos is a proud member of this Guild.
4. ON OUR THEME
Ladies and gentlemen, our themes for this conference are extremely germane.
This year, we witnessed the worst Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is only 2 hours 43 minutes flight time from Nigeria. We all remember the case of Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American, on 20th July 2014, and the heroic sacrifice made by Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh and the staff of First Consultants Hospital, right here in Lagos, to contain it.
We need not look that far.
Let me share a brief story: My final year project in 1984 was initially titled ‘Incidence of Vaccine Failures in 6 Vaccine Preventable Diseases’. I took data from IDH Yaba, General Hospital Ikeja (now LASUTH) and Mercy Children Hospital, Lagos Island. I did not see a single case of diphtheria, few cases of tetanus. I had to change the topic to 4 childhood diseases.
That was the power of effective immunization at that time. But today, the story has changed. Recently we had a diphtheria outbreak in parts of Nigeria including Lagos – 56 cases reported on 9th September 2026. What we thought was gone is re-emerging.
The lesson is clear: Emerging and re-emerging diseases are at our doorstep. As frontline private practitioners, we must be abreast of them. We must know not only how to diagnose and treat our patients properly, but also how to protect ourselves, our staff, and our facilities.
This brings me to the second aspect of our gathering.
Any venture one embarks upon should provide satisfaction, and satisfaction is holistic – it is social, psychological, as well as economic and financial.
Therefore, for us to have true satisfaction in our various practices, the business of medicine must not only be stable and grow. Growth is not enough; it must scale.
That is why our second sub-theme is so important. Dr. Kuyoro will be taking us through the systems, strategies, and leadership needed to build a scalable healthcare enterprise.
5. CONCLUSION
So, let us sit back and relax, but more importantly, let us engage. We are here to learn, to unlearn, and to relearn.
Our speakers are seasoned experts. I am confident we will leave here better prepared – both clinically and as business leaders.
On this note, it is my distinct honour to welcome you all to this Scientific Symposium.
E kaabo to Lagos, the Centre of Excellence and land of aquatic splendour.
Thank you.
