LHIS will improve health services-Olulade
The Acting Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Segun Olulade, has said that the ongoing amendment of Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme (LHIS) Law would help in improving the delivery of adequate health services in the state.
Olulade said this at the stakeholders meeting organised by the Committee during the week, at the Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja.
He stressed” I believe that we are on the path of positive improvement on the things that have to do with health. All over the world, no government can on its own fund the Health sector, so the health scheme is part of the inclusive policy of the Ambode’s administration aimed at ensuring all residents of the state. It will help, especially those at the lower rung of the ladder, access qualitative medical services on real time.
The Acting Chairman continued, “This is a law that allows us to do the Health Insurance Scheme, which is targeted at the most needy and the poor that cannot afford ordinary healthcare We believe that if we pull the resources of every other person in the state together, those that cannot afford will have a chance to access qualitative healthcare,”
In his comment, the Speaker of the House, who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, explained that the state could not leave the health services to chance, hence the need to amend the state health scheme, 2015.
According to him, Health is wealth and the state government is poised to improving health of its residents. Nigerian constitution puts insurance on exclusive legislative list.
However, some participants raised some salient issues concerning the bill.
Mr Francis Ogunremi, the Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Lagos State, said that a representative of TUC should also be a member of the board just as a member of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was included
Ogunremi said that some residents in both formal and informal sectors have health schemes already, and that making the scheme a compulsion will not work.
He called on the Assembly to look into this and harmonise it to avoid confusion.
Mr Thompson Akpabio from the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), who spoke on Section 2 said that the extent of the supervisory role of the ministry on the board was not clear.
Akpabio suggested oversight instead of supervision to avoid clashes.
On section 6, Akpabio said: “I will urge that we maintain the status quo, not making the scheme compulsory.
“The extant provision should not be amended. This scheme should be only for those not covered under any existing scheme,”
Dr Sylvester Akande, from USAID, who also reacted to sections 2 and 6 of the amendment said the relationship between the board and the ministry of health should be well spelt out.
According to another stakeholder, Mr Obinna Okechukwu, it would not be reasonable to say that those who are already on National Health Insurance Scheme should also buy into the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme.
On the sections 2 and 6, the Speaker said that the House would look at the strength of the submissions and factor them into the final bill.
In an interview with newsmen shortly after the meeting, the Commissioner for Health in Lagos, disclosed that the idea to amend the law came from the executive council based on the commitment of Governor Ambode to improve healthcare in the state.
Idris, however, said the executive believes the scheme should be made compulsory for all residents, saying that it helps in the spirit of universal health coverage.
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