Lagos State has launched the LASHMA-AID Emergency Companies Programme, a state-led intervention designed to make sure that no resident is denied life-saving medical care due to price, administrative delays or uncertainty over insurance coverage standing.
The programme was formally unveiled on Thursday in Lagos, marking a serious coverage shift that locations emergency stabilisation forward of cost or enrolment verification underneath the Lagos State Well being Insurance coverage Scheme, ILERA EKO. It’s backed by governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Government Order on Necessary Social Well being Insurance coverage.
Dr. (Mrs.) Kemi Ogunyemi, particular adviser to the governor on Well being, described the launch as a historic milestone that strengthens Lagos State’s dedication to common well being protection and responsive governance.
Ogunyemi stated LASHMA-AID displays the governor’s resolve to ensure unhindered entry to healthcare, noting that well being stays a core pillar of the THEMES Plus Agenda, alongside sustained investments in infrastructure, digital well being programs and emergency response.
Ogunyemi highlighted reforms together with the Good Well being Info Platform linking public amenities, growth of 24-hour major healthcare centres, upgrades of over 27 PHCs underneath the World Financial institution-supported IMPACT Programme, and the expansion of useful PHCs to over 336 throughout the state.
She additional famous that Lagos had decreased out-of-pocket spending by medical health insurance and strengthened safety for the poor by dedicating one per cent of the Consolidated Income Fund as an fairness fund, elevated to N3 billion yearly and made a first-line cost.
Based on her, LASHMA-AID is a lifeline that addresses long-standing gaps in emergency response by offering a structured, coordinated and financially protected system that prioritises saving lives earlier than administrative checks.
Ogunyemi defined that residents can entry emergency care by the common emergency numbers or the devoted LASHMA toll-free line, whereas medical evacuation and response are delivered by LASAMBUS, lately strengthened with ambulance bikes and MICU ambulances.
She disclosed that LASAMBUS attended to over 5,000 circumstances this yr alone, with plans accredited for added recruitment of nurses and bike riders to additional increase fast response capability.
In his goodwill message, Hon. Musibau Aina Lawal, the chairman of the Home Committee on Well being, , stated LASHMA-AID interprets legislative intent into sensible, life-saving motion by guaranteeing that stabilisation takes priority over enrolment verification or cost.
Lawal famous that the initiative aligns with the Well being Scheme Legislation and the Governor’s Government Order, reinforcing the precept that preservation of life should at all times come first, whereas assuring continued legislative help.
Earlier in a welcome handle, Dr. Adebayo Adedewe, the chairman of the Lagos State Well being Administration Company, stated the programme was conceived from Sections 6 and seven of the Government Order and developed by intensive stakeholder engagement with empanelled and non-empanelled suppliers.
Adedewe defined that LASHMA-AID covers as much as 48 hours of in-facility emergency stabilisation for enrollees and susceptible residents, supported by clear operational tips, supplier handbooks and escalation pathways. He harassed that no emergency affected person ought to be turned away, including that the initiative integrates hospitals, ambulance operators and LASHMA’s inner coordination unit right into a single response chain for pre-hospital care, transfers and early stabilisation.
Talking additional in an interview, Adedewe urged residents to not concern in search of care throughout emergencies, assuring that LASHMA would bear the associated fee whereas affected individuals are stabilised and subsequently registered on the scheme. He stated data-driven monitoring would monitor response occasions, utilisation and outcomes, enabling steady enchancment, with goal response occasions of two to a few minutes for emergency activation.
Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, everlasting secretary, LASHMA, stated the programme closes a serious hole that beforehand discouraged personal suppliers from emergency participation as a result of lack of assured cost. She defined that each empanelled and non-empanelled amenities at the moment are coated for emergency stabilisation, with LASHMA assuming accountability for cost whether or not the affected person is insured or recognized as susceptible.
Zamba famous that the 24-hour toll-free line allows triage, ambulance dispatch and coordinated referrals, guaranteeing that identification and insurance coverage standing are addressed after lives are saved.
