As the Lagos State Government prepares to roll out its mandatory health insurance scheme tagged the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS), the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris has tasked health care providers in the public sector on provision of qualitative care to enrollees.
Idris who stated this yesterday at an interactive session with public sector health care providers on the scheme noted that the provision of quality care to enrollees under the scheme is key stressing that the LSHS seeks to ad dress the issues of accessibility to quality health care services as well as financial protection from huge medical bills.
“Provision of qualitative services including customer service is a critical sustainability factor for the scheme and thus quality assurance will be aggressively monitored and enforced with quality improvement plans and programs being implemented by participating facilities,” he said.
The Commissioner noted that the quality assessment element that will be required of health facilities willing to participate under the scheme include; management and leadership, human resource management, patient and family rights and access to care, management of information and risk management.
Idris stressed that the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA); the agency established by the Lagos State Health Scheme law to promote, regulate, supervise and ensure the effective administration of the LSHS and the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) will ensure provision of qualitative services and value for money spent in all facilities empanelled under the scheme.
He added that the scheme which will be used as a catalyst for health reforms in Lagos State also seek to improve and harness private sector participation, achieve equitable distribution of healthcare cost, encourage efficiency and demand for health as well as resource pooling.
The Commissioner while reiterating the State Government’s commitment to increase access to quality and affordable health care service through the implementation of LSHS opined that the implementation of the scheme lends credence to the State Government’s position that all people and communities should have access to needed promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services.
Idris explained that the journey to having a State health financing scheme has been a long but purposeful one stressing the Lagos State Government resolve to have its own scheme is evidenced by the fact that the State’s health financing direction has been a major subject matter in the health sector for a couple of years now.
“It might seem like a lot of time has passed since the enactment of the LSHS law for the implementation of the scheme to be just commencing, however a lot of technical studies and pilot schemes have been done to ensure that we get it right as the scheme is expected to be a catalyst for the Lagos State Health Reform”, the Commissioner said.
He explained that since the enactment of the LSHS law, the Ministry of Health has embarked on intensive preliminary technical sessions to ensure the operationalization of the law. He added that a core implementation team comprising of relevant technical persons and stakeholders from the public and private sector as well as donor community was set up to draw up a blueprint to facilitate the effective roll-out of the scheme.
Idris however noted that only public and private facilities that meet laid down criteria for provision of health care under the scheme will be accredited to provide Service. He added the State will soon commence massive sensitization about the scheme especially on all social media platforms.
“The Scheme is for all residents of Lagos State, enrollment for LSHS is per family of six; mother, father and four children while single or unit enrollment is also allowed. Premium is 40,000 naira per annum for family of six and 8,500 naira for single unit enrollment and payment can be done monthly, quarterly or annually through varied channels”, the Commissioner explained.