Experts seek sustainable options for healthcare financing ahead of polls

Panellists and medical experts, at a one-day symposium in Lagos, yesterday, urged adoption and continuation of sustainable options for healthcare financing in the country.

The symposium, organised by a not-for-profit organisation, BOSKOH Healthcare Mission International (HMI), was meant to set an agenda on the need for aspirants into political offices to include in their plans the provision of access to healthcare in underserved and vulnerable communities to improve the health, wellness and quality of life of the population.

Participants, including some of the best minds in the medical field in Lagos and beyond, converged at Adeyemi Bero Conference Hall of Lagos State Secretariat to deliberate on the theme, “Health-Care Financing: The Sustainable Options.”

The symposium was also positioned against the backdrop of the campaign for the re-election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, on one hand, and the presidential bid of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential flagbearer of All Progressives Congress (APC).

The symposium, which also came in timely because of the need to revamp Nigeria’s health sector as the country prepares for next year’s general elections, became necessary as Nigerians move to elect candidates that have demonstrated acumen for developing the health sector to bring their expertise to bear at the national level.

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who represented the governor, delivered a presentation on the achievements of the healthcare component of the THEMES agenda of the Lagos State Government.

He called the attention of those in attendance to the importance of continuity, saying that Lagos is the state to emulate in terms of healthcare delivery.

He said the state government had put a lot of efforts into collaboration and forward-thinking initiatives in healthcare delivery.

Also, Chief Executive Officer, BOSKOH-HMI, Nike Osa, said that the invaluable necessity to provide access to healthcare in vulnerable and under-represented communities, was key to the primary goal of responding to medical and social emergencies with direct interventions via teams that consist of a variety of medical and non-medical volunteers, who perform free, life-saving surgeries for thousands and engage in clinical consultations and treatment for millions of vulnerable individuals.

A former Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Jide Idris, also delivered the keynote paper on healthcare financing ahead of the panel discussion.

In his address, Idris outlined the basis of the financing function, analysis of available data – health accounts, the challenges of financing, the health component of the APC manifesto and proposed options with the consideration of sustainability.

He noted the importance of proper financing for the medical field, which had the potential to add about 10 per cent to the GDP while transforming into the country’s largest employer because of its employment generation and wealth creation potential.

He described a model of the extent of out-of-pocket expenses that individuals incur on medical costs in low income countries and how this is not as drastic for individuals in middle and high income countries because of the involvement of private insurance, social insurance, national health insurance scheme and government budget – all of which shrink the size of out-of-pocket expenses individuals pay.