The Lagos state commissioner for Health Professor Akin Abayomi has called on Entrepreneurs in the Health sector to partner with the government in its efforts to implement the National Health Scheme in the state.
Pix courtesy: Shoforte Productions
He was speaking at a Healthcare business Conference organized by the Health Federation of Nigeria in Conjunction with Anadach Consulting Lagos at the Medic West Africa Health Show 2019.
Professor Abayomi while addressing delegates cutting across various fields in the Health sector described Lagos as a large mega city that is growing rapidly with a considerably stress environment.
‘’Majority of the people in Lagos are living close to or on the verge of poverty, and therefore we have some very serious Health and safety measures that we need to put in place. And therefore, we have some very serious health and safety measures that we need to put in place, and this is more or less crystalized in the Lagos State Health Scheme.
According to him, to put such a scheme in place, requires a great deal of complex deliberations and logistics. Lagos state has distinguished itself as a Leader in the Nigerian Health space given its peculiar environment as a commercial hub in the country. However, just like other states in the country, the state’s Health sector is also fraught with issues relating to brain drain and manpower.
Pix courtesy: Shoforte Productions
‘’Although, Lagos state is not bad as other parts of the country as it seems like the migration of Healthcare professionals often come to Lagos on their way out of the country. When they come here, they spend at least a year or two before they migrate out of the country. So Lagos has the benefit of having Doctors and nurses as they try to use Lagos as a gateway out of Nigeria. And sometimes they stop and they are offered better opportunities. So we do have shortage of manpower, but it is not as serious as it would affect other parts of Nigeria.’’
Professor Abayomi disclosed that the Lagos State Government in its efforts to provide healthcare that would benefit the growing population has put together the Lagos state Health reform Law, as well ass enact the Lagos State Health Scheme Law which is supposed to be mandatory.
He stressed however that the Lagos state Health scheme is meant to be delivered on a platform of the private Healthcare services. He explained that a safety net has been provided for as many as would utilize the primary Healthcare centers across the states. According to him, there is just one primary Healthcare center per ward across the state. However, a minimum of two centers per ward is required.
According to him, the state’s primary Healthcare is underutilized while the secondary healthcare facilities are overburdened due to the shortage of manpower in Health Centers across the state.
‘’We have just about three hundred Health centers across the state, but idly, we should have a minimum of six hundred or nine hundred of such centers. And of those three hundred, only sixty centers have Medical doctors in attendance while the remaining two hundred and forty are manned by nurses or healthcare attendants.
He said, to in order to drive the Healthcare Scheme in a way that it is efficient in its quality of infrastructure and human resources, the state government has introduced what it calls ‘Access to Finance’.
According him, the initiative provides the opportunity for a private practitioner or group of persons to gain access to an attractive funding scheme from a coalition of Banks with low interest to give them the opportunity to manage some of the undermanned and neglected primary Healthcare structures.
‘’In the previous administration, a total of Forty- three primary underutilized primary Healthcare centers have been awarded to the private sector. The loans will be paid back and as such they have to run the facilities as a private sector business.’’
Pix courtesy: Shoforte Productions
Although this idea was considered by many as a welcome idea, according to him it was not completely accepted by the third tier government as a good step in the right direction. There was the fear that the private sector was taking over public facilities. And this according him is not the case.
Professor Abayomi disclosed that some of the services provided by government hospitals are better off provided by the private health institutions. Such services include pharmaceutical services, Laboratory services and radiology services. This according to him is another government initiative for private partnership participation which will go a long way enhancing the provision of healthcare services throughout the state.
