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| (From L-R): Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. ‘Modele Osunkiyesi; and the Special Adviser on Primary Health Care, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga during the Ministry of Health’s Year 2017 Annual Press Briefing at the Bagauda Kaltho Preess Centre, Alausa-Ikeja |
The Lagos State Government on Thursday
said the much awaited State Health Insurance Scheme (LSHS) will commence in
November, 2017.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris
said this today at the 2017 Ministerial Press Briefing of the Ministry of
Health to commemorate second year in office of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode led
administration in Lagos State.
Idris noted that a core implementation
team comprising relevant technical persons, stakeholders, private sector and
donor community was set up to draw up a
blueprint that will facilitate the effective roll-out of the scheme.
“An actuarial
study was conducted to serve as an objective basis to inform decisions on the
design of benefit structures, reimbursement standards and the effects of
proposed government standards on the cost of healthcare for the scheme”, the
Commissioner stated.
Idris mentioned that the operational guidelines for
the scheme to provide a framework to
guide the operations of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA); the
agency established to manage the scheme have already been concluded.
He
added that the premium cost for the scheme has been determined and fixed
stressing that the fixed cost is lower than the actuarially determined cost to
make it affordable for residents.
The
Commissioner also disclosed that the appointment of the General Manager of
LASHMA has been concluded adding that the engagement of a consultant to
mid-wife the selection process for the agency’s management team is at the final
stage.
He
stated that the business process manual (BPM) which give details
of how the day-to-day activities of the organization would be executed has been
concluded for use by LASHMA.
The Commissioner noted that the soft
launch of the Scheme will start in June, 2017 with the commencement of mass
sensitization of all strata of Lagos residents and social marketing involving sustained
multi-pronged consumer engagement adding that focus will be on actively and
creatively engaging the informal sector on whose buy-in the success of this
Scheme is largely dependent.
Said he, “advocacy
sessions with active engagement of relevant stakeholders critical to the
success of the scheme have also commenced and are on-going. A robust advocacy
and social marketing campaign has also been designed to facilitate the
awareness and buy-in of citizens is to be rolled-out in June”.
Idris explained
that the active engagement of the informal sector critical to the
sustainability of the scheme is considered a priority stressing that a strategy
for engagement of the informal has been initiated with the support of Ministries,
Departments and Agencies interfacing the informal sector on various fronts.
Idris while
stating that the State government will ffinalize the details of
the Provider Payment System (PPS) of the scheme with the relevant stakeholders
like health insurance agents and providers, noted that the ICT platform for the
scheme will also be finalized and tested towards the complete roll out of the
scheme in November this year.
“Looking
back I can confidently say that during this period the State health sector has
made great progress; more than four million people had access to our facilities
and more than 80,000 have been seen at the on-going medical mission for the
treatment of common ailments at the grass roots. There is also a renewed vigor
to kick start the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme to improve access to
healthcare services”, the Commissioner posited.
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