CEM REPORT, HEALTH | In further pursuit to make health insurance accessible to every member of the state, the Lagos State has launched 300 Ilera-Eko virtual booths.
The Ilera-Eko virtual booth is part of digital strategies initiative of Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) in partnership with Sterling Bank, geared towards promoting healthcare coverage in remote areas.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the unveiling said his administration would implement strategies geared towards digital healthcare coverage for health services to be accessed remotely.
The governor, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Olusegun Ogboye, noted that the law makes it mandatory for all residents of Lagos State to possess a health plan to enable them to have access to quality healthcare services.
Additionally, he said the law will help curtail out-of-pocket expenses on health and remedy the financial hardship caused by the payment of huge medical bills.
“For those who cannot afford the LSHS plan, the state has committed a minimum of one per cent of the consolidated revenue fund as an equity fund to the Lagos State Health Fund (LASHEF) to provide coverage for vulnerable groups to purchase the Ilera-Eko plan on their behalf,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Furthermore, the booths will be manned by community health workers or registered nurses and mapped to a healthcare provider in case of emergencies.
In addition, virtual access to doctors would be provided using telemedicine while prescriptions would be taken to the nearest community pharmacy where the medication will be dispensed.
On the bone of contention between the LASHMA and Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs), the governor said to domesticate the NHIA Act and also ensure compliance with the provision of the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) law, critical stakeholders in the State health insurance value chain, including HMOs, healthcare providers, corporate organisations, policymakers, and employers of labour and employees should support LASHMA.
“The domestication of the Act in Lagos State will enable the government to guarantee the provision of basic healthcare services to the citizens thereby improving their quality of life. To this end, I have issued an executive order for the commencement of the domestication of the NHIA Act and the implementation of LSHS.
“This will make it possible for the agency to engage with all key stakeholders and ensure that residents of Lagos State have access to quality and affordable healthcare services, thereby moving the state closer to the attainment of UHC.”
