The Lagos State Government, in its commitment to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for all residents in the State, has trained and deployed 100 Community-Based Enrolment Officers to five Local Governments/Local Council Development Areas in the State.
Speaking during the contract signing of the enrolment officers recruited by one of the partners of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Health Systems Consult Limited (HSCL) at LCCI, Alausa, Ikeja, the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) Board Member on the Marketing Sub-Committee, Dr. Tunji Akintade, said that the Enrolment Officers are expected to register and enroll residents, especially in the informal sector in Oshodi, Ikorodu, Alimosho and Surulere Local Government Areas as well as Oriade Local Council Development Area.
Akintade, who commended the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration for taking the initiative to reach out to the informal sector said, “In health insurance, nobody has attained 100% of the informal sector enrolment globally but Lagos State is about doing that to make history”.
He explained that in order to ensure the sustainability of the Health Insurance Scheme in Lagos State, enrolment at the community level is very essential as the informal sector constitutes about 70 per cent of the entire population of the State.
His words: “Once we are able to capture the informal sector on the Lagos State Health Scheme, there will be a significant increase in the number of the residents who will access affordable, good and quality healthcare as well as live a healthy life”.
The Board Member appealed to the new Community Enrolment Officers to be hardworking, dedicated, effective and efficient in order to be part of the success story of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the State.
He appreciated the efforts and support of the Health Systems Consult Limited (HSCL) for the recruitment of Community Based Enrolment Officers for LASHMA, adding that the assistance would in no small measure change the narrative about the health indices in the country such as maternal mortality, infant mortality and unwanted pregnancies.
The Project Manager and Health Finance Director, Health Systems Consult Limited (HSCL), Dr. Oluwatosin Kolade, said that his organisation embarked on the recruitment exercise in order to support the Lagos State Government in realising its Universal Health Coverage (UHC) policy.
Dr. Kolade commended the State Government for its determination and support for the laudable health insurance programme, strengthening the initiative and doing its best to actualise the dream of every stakeholder in the health sector in Lagos.
While congratulating the Enrolment Officers, he urged them to work relentlessly in order to ensure that residents, particularly those at the grassroots, access the affordable and quality healthcare of the State Government.
The representative of the General Manager, Lagos State Health Management Agency, Dr. Emmanuel Zamba, who is the Head, Monitoring and Evaluation, LASHMA, Mrs. Adetoro Tayo-Adetoro, said that the Officers had undergone series of training which would enable them perform creditably well.
Dr. Zamba implored the Enrolment Officers to implement all what they had learnt during their training on the field in order to achieve a huge success.
The General Manager said that the Agency, realising that not everyone in the State could pay the individual premium of N8,500 annually or N40,000 annual family premium at once, has approved that the informal sector can “pay small small”. According to her, they could pay the premium daily, monthly or quarterly in order to avoid stress.
She advised the Community Based Enrolment Officers to be diligent and committed in their duties, adding that the Lagos State Government would continue to provide the necessary support for their training and working tools.
