Lagos State has unveiled LASHMA-AID Emergency Services Programme, a state-led initiative designed to ensure no resident is denied life-saving treatment because of cost, delay or administrative hurdles.
The programme, launched yesterday in GRA, Ikeja, institutionalises emergency medical stabilisation for insured and vulnerable residents under the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme (ILERA EKO), in line with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Executive Order on Mandatory Social Health Insurance.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, described the initiative as a major milestone in the state’s drive towards universal health coverage and responsive governance.
She said LASHMA-AID underscored the Sanwo-Olu administration’s resolve to guarantee unhindered access to health care, noting that health remained a key pillar of the THEMES Plus Agenda.
She said the state had continued to invest in infrastructure, digital health systems and emergency response, citing reforms such as Smart Health Information Platform linking public health facilities, the expansion of 24-hour primary health care centres, and the upgrade of more than 27 PHCs under the World Bank-supported IMPACT Programme.
She added: ‘’Lagos now has over 336 functional PHCs.’’
Ogunyemi said the state had also reduced out-of-pocket spending through health insurance and strengthened protection for the poor by dedicating one per cent of its Consolidated Revenue Fund as an equity fund, now increased to N3 billion annually and made a first-line charge.
She says LASHMA-AID fills long-standing gaps in emergency response by prioritising life-saving care before enrolment checks or payment, stressing that residents can access the service through the emergency numbers 112 or 767, or the LASHMA toll-free line, 0800 000 LASHMA.
Emergency evacuation and response, she said, would be handled by the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), which had been strengthened with ambulance bikes and Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) ambulances.
LASAMBUS, she disclosed, has attended to over 5,000 cases this year, with approval already given for the recruitment of more nurses and bike riders.
Chairman of the House of Assembly Committee on Health, Musibau Lawal, said the programme translated legislative intent into practical, life-saving action by ensuring emergency stabilisation took precedent over payment or verification.
He said the initiative aligned with the Lagos State Health Scheme Law and the Governor’s Executive Order, adding that the legislature would continue to support policies that placed the preservation of life first.
The Chairman of Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr Adebayo Adedewe, said the programme was developed from Sections 6 and 7 of the Executive Order after extensive engagement with empanelled and non-empanelled health care providers.
He noted that LASHMA-AID covered up to 48 hours of in-facility emergency stabilisation for enrollees and vulnerable residents, supported by clear operational guidelines, provider handbooks and escalation pathways.
“No emergency patient should be turned away,” Adedewe said, noting that the initiative integrated hospitals, ambulance operators and LASHMA’s coordination unit into a single response chain for pre-hospital care, transfers and early stabilisation.
In an interview, he urged residents not to delay seeking care during emergencies, assuring Lagosians that LASHMA would bear the cost of stabilisation while affected persons were subsequently enrolled in the insurance scheme.
He said data-driven monitoring would track response times and outcomes, with a target response time of two to three minutes for emergency activation.
Permanent Secretary, LASHMA, Dr Emmanuella Zamba, said the programme addressed a major gap that previously discouraged private facilities from participating in emergency care due to uncertainty over payment.
She says empanelled and non-empanelled facilities are now covered for emergency stabilisation, with LASHMA assuming responsibility for payment whether or not the patient is insured, once identified as vulnerable.
Special Adviser to the Governor on the Parastatal Monitoring Office, Ibrahim Obanikoro, described LASHMA-AID as a step closer to global best practice, praising the affordability and inclusiveness of the Lagos health insurance scheme.
Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Lagos Health District II, Dr Dayo Lajide, said the initiative would significantly improve emergency referrals, particularly in urgent cases such as obstetric transfers from PHCs to general hospitals.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr Olanrewaju Bajulaiye, represented by the Director of Public Affairs, Mr Adesegun Ogundeji, pledged sustained public enlightenment to drive awareness and utilisation of the programme.
Closing the event, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Dr Oluwatoni Adeyemi, said the success of LASHMA-AID would be measured by lives saved, faster response times and renewed public confidence, as Lagos positions itself as a model for organised emergency care in Nigeria.
