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Health: Expert commends LASG’s over compulsory state’s Health Insurance Scheme

Published

8 years ago

April 23, 2018

By Lanre Adesanya

The Medical Director/Chief Executive Officer, Maternal and Child (MCC), Amuwo-Odofin, Dr Dapo Soyinka has lauded the Lagos State Government’s initiative to make its Health Insurance Scheme compulsory.

Soyinka gave the commendation while fielding questions posed by newsmen on the arguments by stakeholders, regarding a proposed law on whether the health scheme be made compulsory or optional.

The stakeholders made the suggestion at a Public Hearing on “A Bill for a Law to Amend the Lagos State Health Scheme, 2015’’, organised by the Lagos State House of Assembly on Friday.

The Section 6 of the amendment stipulates that “the scheme shall be compulsory and applicable to all residents of the state’’.

The existing terms state that the scheme shall be compulsory and applies to all residents of the states that are not covered by any existing health scheme.

Meanwhile, Soyinka said that any government that was serious about the health of its citizens would make health insurance compulsory and mandatory.

“The issue of issuance is key to realise sustainable development in health conditions of people. We should have equity in accessing health facility.

“For the poor man to be able to get good health services, definitely the way to go is health insurance.

“I am happy the Lagos State Government is working to make sure that the state’s health insurance take off.

“Any serious nation that is going to succeed in the area of health insurance should make it compulsory, just as tax is compulsory,” Soyinka said.

According to him, one of the reasons, why the National Health Insurance Scheme’s coverage is still as low as single digit since it started, is because the law did not make it mandatory.

“Any serious government that is serious about getting people enrolled on that scheme, will make it mandatory.

“As far as the Lagos State health scheme bill is concern, I think the government has taken the right path by proposing an amendment to the law making the scheme compulsory.

“There may be agitations but if we are serious and government knows that it has a responsibility to care for people, it must make health scheme compulsory.

“Lagos government has taken the right decision it should be made mandatory. That’s the way to go in order to make significant improvement in healthcare,” he added

He said that, if the amendment was passed into law, close to 70 per cent of the residents would be covered for quality healthcare delivery.