Lagos flaunts healthcare financing model for others to emulate

The Lagos state government has flaunted its healthcare financing model, even as it advised other states and the federal government to take a cue from the Lagos experience with its sustainable healthcare financing options.

The call was made recently at a symposium organised by BOSKOH Healthcare Mission International (HMI), a non-profit organisation, to set a health agenda for aspirants into political offices ahead of the 2023 General Elections.

At the symposium, Akin Abayomi, Lagos state commissioner of health, made a presentation on the achievements of the healthcare component of the THEMES Agenda of the Lagos State Government where he emphasised the need for continuity, maintaining that Lagos is the State to emulate today in terms of healthcare delivery, as he maintained that the State Government had put in a lot of effort into collaboration and forward-thinking initiatives in healthcare delivery.

He cited the example of how the State handled the Ebola case and how the Centre for Disease Control, which was in place at the time, helped to prevent the devastating effects that could have been the case if there was nothing in place to handle the outbreak from the index case.

“The same infrastructure and preparedness came in handy when the coronavirus reached Nigeria and Lagos worked tirelessly to flatten the curve,” Abayomi said, as he took the audience through plans of projects for modern-day medical centres that take cognisance of advanced technology and climate change concerns. He then praised some private sector medical partners for setting the pace in Nigeria and beyond.

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Medical experts from across the state and beyond, who also spoke at the event held at the Adeyemi Bero Conference Hall of the State Government Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja, applauded the Lagos healthcare financing model.

Nike Osa, CEO of BOSKOH-HMI, speaking on the theme of the symposium “Health-Care Financing: The Sustainable Options”, explained that the invaluable necessity to provide access to health care in vulnerable and under-represented communities is key to the primary goal of responding to medical and social emergencies.