LASHMA highlights importance of his to universal healthcare coverage

The Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) has reiterated the need for Lagos residents to tap into the Healthcare Insurance Scheme, as it would help to achieve universal healthcare coverage and reduce out of pocket payments.

The General Manager of the agency, Emmanuela Zamba, said irrespective of tribe, religion and financial status, as far as they live in the state, they are qualified to register and enroll for the scheme.

While making the call during the LASHMA and Eko Social Health Alliance (EKOSHA) media launch at the GRA, Ikeja, she said the launch was to ensure that LASHMA lives up to its responsibility in ensuring indigent people and the vulnerable are not left behind in terms of healthcare coverage.

She explained that government alone cannot afford to pay for indigent people and people living with disability, therefore, LASHMA, has a way of generating fund from private sector, individuals, religion organisations, non-governmental organisations, philanthropists among others.

Zamba explained that LASHMA formed an alliance to get people to help them pay for vulnerable people. She said: For instance, some people come to us and pledge to pay for widows in their community, elderly ones or orphans among others. There is a particular partner that paid for HIV patients including vulnerable children that have HIV in Lagos State.

Zamba noted that Lagos State government in its efforts to attain universal healthcare coverage provides affordable and quality healthcare services to all its residents, including the vulnerable and indigents, enacted the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) law, in 2015.

The operations of the scheme, commenced fully in April 2020.