The Lagos State Government has urged private health facilities to key into the State Health Insurance Scheme (SHIS) to achieve affordable, comprehensive and unhindered access to quality healthcare services for residents.
The Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, made the call on Thursday at the inauguration of Raddington Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lekki, Lagos State.
Adebule said that Public-Private Partnership (PPP) was required as government alone could not meet the healthcare needs of the people.
According to her, health insurance scheme as an enabler and a leveller is the solution to healthcare challenges in the state.
“The challenge of providing affordable and quality healthcare services to every person in Nigeria especially in a highly populated state like Lagos is a daunting task.
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“The population of Lagos state is growing at a monstrous rate, thereby putting enormous pressure on healthcare infrastructure provided by government.
“This has further highlighted the proposition that government alone cannot meet the healthcare needs of the people.
“To surmount this challenge, privately owned healthcare facilities must be encouraged to thrive. Therefore, private health facilities are encouraged to enrol on the scheme to take healthcare to the people,” she said.
Adebule assured that the state government was willing to partner private healthcare providers to expand their services to every corner of the state.
Dr Tunde Lalude, the Group Medical Director, Raddington Hospital, said Nigeria’s healthcare system was faced with many challenges as it ranked 187 out of 190 in world health system.
Lalude said that the hospital would continue to support government in the delivery of affordable and quality healthcare to Lagos state residents.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on December 18, 2018, launched the SHIS to achieve universal health coverage in the state. (NAN)
