Lagos state government through the State Health Management Agency, LASHMA has unveiled LASHMA-AID Emergency Services Programme.
Speaking at the official launch held at Providence Hotel Ikeja, Lagos, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi said that the launch is the path to reaffirm the Lagos State’s commitment to universal health coverage and responsive governance.
According to the government, the state-led intervention is to scale up the health insurance space and introduce a new approach to respond to medical emergencies under the ‘Ilera-Eko’ Scheme.
Ogunyemi appreciated the State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his commitment towards ensuring residents have unhindered access to medical services in the state.
She said that since 2019, Governor Sanwo-Olu has paid premium attention to safety for Lagos residents in the health space through the THEMES Plus Agenda, with activation of numerous achievements in the health sector that focuses on infrastructural development of public hospitals, digital innovation, and pandemic response.
She said, “Governor Sanwo-Olu has launched a smart health information platform, SHIP, a digital system to link all public health facilities for better data sharing, established a new medical university, improved disease control, emergency services, and medical personnel welfare. In addition, the state government has implemented a multifaceted approach to strengthen our primary health centers, PHCs. Some PHCs that are not operating 24 hours have been upgraded, and over 27 PHCs have also been enhanced this year under the World Bank Assisted Impact Program.
“Mr. Governor has also demonstrated strong commitment to the state’s social health insurance scheme, ensuring that no one, irrespective of their socioeconomic status, is left behind in accessing affordable, quality, and equitable health care services. This will reduce out-of-pocket payments for medical care, minimize the risk of infection, reduce the risk of catastrophic health expenditure, and provide residents with peace of mind whenever medical challenges arise.
“To ensure vulnerable coverage, Governor Sanwo-Olu has also dedicated 1% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, CRF, as equity fund, increased the equity fund from 1 billion to 3 billion naira annually, and also made the equity fund to be a one-line charge, making him to be the first and only governor to do so in Nigeria.”
Ogunyemi added that the State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS attended to over 5,000 cases this year alone, with plans approved for additional recruitment of nurses and bike riders to further boost rapid response capacity.
Strengthening the Healthcare System
In his remark, the Lagos State Head of Service, Mr Bode Agoro said that the innovation is geared towards strengthening the state healthcare system and ensuring that no resident is left behind, regardless of socio-economic status.
Agoro who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Lagos State Public Service Office, Mrs Sunkanmi Oyegbola said the LASHMA Aid provides an additional and critical layer of protection to public servants, their families, and their pensioners, stressing that with it’s introduction, residents can now have the assurance that a moment of emergency help will come quickly, professionally and without the burden of financial hardship.
“We no longer need to panic or run from pillar to post in search of funds during medical emergencies. This is the true essence of responsive, compassionate and people-centered governance,” he said
The Chairman Lagos State Health Management Agency, Dr. Adebayo Adedewe, said the programme was conceived from Sections 6 and 7 of the Executive Order and developed through extensive stakeholder engagement with empanelled and non-empanelled providers.
Dr. Adedewe explained that LASHMA-AID covers up to 48 hours of in-facility emergency stabilisation for enrollees and vulnerable residents, supported by clear operational guidelines, provider handbooks and escalation pathways.
He stressed that no emergency patient should be turned away, adding that the initiative integrates hospitals, ambulance operators and LASHMA’s internal coordination unit into a single response chain for pre-hospital care, transfers and early stabilisation.
According to him, “Data-driven monitoring would track response times, utilisation and outcomes, enabling continuous improvement, with target response times of two to three minutes for emergency activation.”
Affordable Healthcare for Lagos Residents
The Permanent Secretary of LASHMA, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba said that the whole essence of the initiative is to ensure affordable healthcare for the residents of Lagos.
Zamba said the programme closes a major gap that previously discouraged private providers from emergency participation due to lack of guaranteed payment.
She explained that both empanelled and non-empanelled facilities are now covered for emergency stabilisation, with LASHMA assuming responsibility for payment whether the patient is insured or identified as vulnerable.
“Our swift response can protect their lives as the adage says, a stitch in time saves nine.
“LASHMA aid also brings together hospitals, ambulance service providers, and our internal emergency coordination units into a single coordinated pathway for pre-hospital care, inter-facility transfer, and early stabilization.
“As we formally launch LASHMA aid today, our expectations are clear: We are assuring, that no emergency will be turned away without stabilization in Lagos State and that inter-facility transfers will become more organized, coordinated, and safer for enrollees as well as the vulnerable. Also providers will see this initiative not as a burden, but as a shared responsibility and an opportunity to demonstrate professionalism, empathy, and excellence.
“While LASHMA will coordinate, it is the daily decisions made by doctors, nurses, paramedics, call handlers, claims officers, and administrators that will determine the true success of LASHMA aid. We therefore ask all partners to see themselves as co-owners of this system.
“Professionalism and integrity will remain our core values. LASHMA aid is designed to support emergency care, not to be exploited. While we are confident in the sense of duty and fairness of the vast majority of providers, we will not hesitate to apply necessary checks and sanctions where abuses are detected in order to protect the integrity of the program,” Zamba said.
Stakeholders at the event lauded the initiative as a panacea towards inclusive health care delivery to the grassroot.