Health Insurance Scheme: LASG Commends Delta

By Pat Gbemudu

Delta State Government (DTSG) has been commended for its relentless commitment in providing basic healthcare services in the state through its health insurance program.

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, gave the commendation in his office during a meeting with the Governing Board and Management of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC) and its Lagos State counterpart.

The Delta team, which was led by the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Dr Isaac Akpoveta, was in Lagos State on a PEER Review Study Tour to the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme to share ideas on how best to enhance health insurance service in Nigeria.

While welcoming the Delta team, the health commissioner emphasised that both states had a lot to learn from each other in the sense that there were some practices in Delta State that Lagos State Government (LASG) could emulate, likewise Delta.

“Delta has a very good strategy and political will that is an added advantage to achieving a great success.”

“We are very happy to receive you and Lagos will extract more information from Delta,”
Abayomi said.

Explaining what made Lagos to stand out exceptionally, the commissioner stated that the engagement of civil society organisations has assisted in the monitoring of the scheme adding that it has played a vital role in ascertaining if the agency was on the right track or not.

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Prof. Abayomi also noted the need to look for an alternative means of financing the heath scheme, adding that it would help to expand the strategies for effective service delivery.

In an earlier meeting with the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), the General Manager, Dr. Emanuella Zamba, while welcoming the Delta State team, pointed out that Delta and Lagos were the only two states at the forefront, driving the health insurance scheme in the country.

Dr. Zamba noted that if the two states got it right, other states would embrace and key into the scheme, adding that “together, the health for all shall be achieved.”

Responding, the DG/CEO of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC), Dr Ben Nkechika, said that Delta State was well focused in its drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage through Health Insurance.

He said that the DSCHC was in the Lagos State to find out the possible challenges Lagos State was encountering in implementing its scheme and how they have been able to surmount those challenges.

He added that the visit was also to find out how the DSCHC could improve from the lessons learnt from its interactions with Lagos State Health Scheme and sustain its scheme.

In his remarks, the DSCHC Governing Board Chairman, Dr Akpoveta commended the Lagos State Government for operating with a strong and organised team, adding that the country needs an improved health service delivery to enhance its drive towards achieving UHC by 2030.*******