Kunle SHONUGA
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday reassured Lagos residents of easy access to primary healthcare centres in various communities across the state to ensure universal health coverage.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, gave the assurance at the Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), Lagos chapter.
The theme of the two days conference was: “General Medical Practice:A Veritable Tool for Primary Healthcare Service Delivery”.
Idris said that the ultimate goal of primary healthcare was to ensure better health for all, universal health coverage and to reduce exclusion and social disparities in healthcare delivery.
“We are also committed to upgrading the capacity of these centres through the provision of state-of-the-art facilities and medical personnel.
“This theme touches on one of the areas we have focussed on in the past years, based on our conviction that primary healthcare is the foundation upon which an inclusive healthcare system is built.
“I can assure you that this administration will support any initiative, policies and programmes that will improve our health sector.
“The state of the healthcare service has been evolving over the years; the truth, however, is that there is a wide gap between where we are presently and where we desire to be.
“There is, therefore, the need to work out a system of healthcare service delivery that is efficient, qualitative and accessible to everyone,” he said.
Idris said that private medical practitioners has a complementary role to play in partnership with the government to ensure that our health system was properly positioned to guarantee quality healthcare.
“We need your collaboration in the area of awareness campaign to educate the public on healthy lifestyle and implications of certain unhealthy attitudes.
“I will use this opportunity to seek your partnership and understanding toward the successful implementation of the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme which will soon be launched,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Tunji Akintade, Lagos Chairman of AGPMPN, said that finding lasting solution to primary healthcare service would tremendously improve the health indices of Nigeria.
Akintade said that private medical practitioners have a major role to play in improving primary healthcare services.
“The theme has been carefully chosen as a result of failing result of various interventions by government and partners toward improving the health indices, particularly as the world is moving away from out of pocket payment to health financing.
“AGPMPN has more major role to play and the government from Federal to States to Local Government levels should engage us in mutual discussion.
“Governments should realise that private medical practitioners are the closest to the people in the communities,” he said.
