Idris: Lagos to Start Implementation of State Health Insurance Scheme Soon

By Martins Ifijeh

The Commissioner for Health, Lagos State , Dr. Jide Idris has stated that the government will kick start its Health Insurance Scheme before the end of this year.

Stating this during a workshop for medical directors on leadership and managerial skills organised by the State in partnership with Healthcare Leadership Academy and Healthcare Strategy Development Foundation, he stated that the scheme is mandatory as both the formal and informal sectors would be fully engaged in other to achieve a healthy Lagos .

The Healthcare Leadership Academy and Health Strategy Delivery Foundation are nongovernmental organisation with the mandate of developing a generation of healthcare leaders who excel in governance and provision of quality services.

According to him, ´´we set up this training because there are certain things the government is trying to do in terms of reform agenda and it is essential in the context of the health insurance scheme in Lagos state, ´´ adding that the state cannot effectively deliver on quality healthcare without the appropriate leadership skill.

“The government is investing hugely in the sector in terms of infrastructure and manpower such that we will be able to deliver the next phase of the kind of healthcare we want to offer Lagosians; and this is in the form of health insurance coverage.

´´Everybody in the system should be able to have access to health delivery because some do not have access either because they do not have hospitals around or shortage of staff and issue of money.”

´´Under the scheme, both private and public care providers will form synergy and join resources together for people to get better care. So if you are paying, you have the right to request for quality care.´´

While noting that the scheme will be mandatory, he said government was meeting with the formal and the informal sector, as well as stakeholders, so as to be able to analyse and advocate to them with feedback.

Similarly, the Executive Director, Healthcare Leadership Academy, Dr. Hala Daggash said the organisation is supporting medical directors across the state towards the achievement of strategic objectives and to achieve the relative potentials to the fullest with the ultimate aim of improving service delivery within their facilities.

Daggash explained that, this was just small part of the broader parcel of the Healthcare Leadership Academy as well as the sister organisation, Healthcare Strategy Development Foundation.

She said: “We are established to transform healthcare delivery not just in Lagos State but Nigeria and Africa at large. We are charged with transforming healthcare delivery by developing a generation of leaders and change ambience in service delivery and governance of services. Our role in this effort is to support the government in our capacity as part of a broader support being offered to the state by our organisation,´´ she said.

“This particular programme is getting them to think around about the immediate and long term goals of what they are meant to achieve and to help them develop strategies, then translate them to actual practice. The populace will benefit on the long run from the capacity building.