By Ajibola Adedoye
Healthcare experts in Lagos have called on physicians to begin treating their own health with the same urgency they give their patients, stressing that self-care is essential to effective medical practice.
The call was made on Wednesday during the 2025 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Ebute-Metta Chapter. This year’s conference focused on the theme: “Your Body, Your Responsibility: A Personal Guide to Cancer Risk Reduction for Physicians.”
Dr. Kayode Akinlade, chairman of the event, said the gathering was designed to remind medical practitioners of the importance of regular health maintenance, especially cancer screening.
“As physicians, your body is your responsibility,” Akinlade stressed. “You must prioritise your well-being just as you care for your patients. Many doctors can’t remember the last time they underwent the preventive cancer tests they routinely recommend—such as Pap smears, PSA checks, breast exams, or endoscopic procedures.”
Akinlade, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (Lagos), also urged government to provide improved welfare packages for doctors, noting the unresolved 19-point demand by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Nwamaka Lasebikan, immediate past President of the Association of Radiation and Clinical Oncologists of Nigeria (ARCON), said too many doctors overlook their own health while caring for others.
“Doctors are the ones offering care, prescriptions, and compassion, but rarely turn the spotlight on themselves,” she said. “Everyone knows doctors are often the worst patients. Less than 40 per cent of physicians here have completed the recommended cancer screenings in the last five years.”
She warned that Nigeria’s dwindling number of physicians—largely due to migration—makes it even more urgent for those remaining to safeguard their health.
MDCAN FMC Ebute-Metta Chapter Chairman, Dr. Lucky Okpetu, described the conference theme as both timely and necessary, urging doctors to reflect on the physicians’ pledge: “To render good health to patients, one must first maintain good health.”
He also commended the programme chairman for offering 10 free colonoscopy and 10 free gastroscopy sessions to encourage physicians to take advantage of cancer screening opportunities.
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