Professor Oyediran Oyewole, a public health nutrition expert at the University of Ibadan, has called for dietitians and nutritionists to be formally integrated into patient care teams managing non-communicable diseases. He made the appeal on Friday during the 2026 Professional Retreat for Lagos State Health Service Commission dietitians and nutritionists, held at Lagos Island Maternity. Oyewole stressed that nutritional management should be part of routine care for conditions requiring dietary adjustments, noting that overreliance on medication—especially long-term—could lead to side effects. He said many patients do not receive dietary evaluations during healthcare visits, despite evidence linking conditions like diabetes and hypertension to dietary behaviour.
Oyewole urged nutrition professionals to assert their presence in healthcare settings and advocated for their recognition as essential members of multidisciplinary teams. He emphasized that diseases tied to lifestyle choices require dietary interventions alongside medical treatment. Dr. Olufemi Omololu, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Health Service Commission, backed the call, urging nutritionists to embrace technology, conduct research, and function as team players and managers. He defined professional excellence as the measurable impact of their work on patient outcomes, not just individual performance. Omololu pledged the commission's support for establishing nutrition departments in hospitals lacking them, providing standardised tools, and advancing staff training. The retreat, themed "Institutionalising Excellence in Dietetics and Nutrition Services: Strengthen Systems, Standards and Sustainability," runs for two days and includes participants from government hospitals across Lagos State.
A senior health official calls for nutritionists to be central to patient care while acknowledging they are currently excluded from routine evaluations. If their role is truly to expand, then the timeline and process for establishing nutrition departments in Lagos hospitals should be made public.
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