The Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) has unveiled a new approach to managing medical emergencies, ensuring that no emergency case is turned away without stabilization in all health facilities across the state.
The announcement was made by LASHMA’s Board Chairman, Dr Adebayo Adedewe, during the inauguration of the Ilera Eko Emergency Services (LASHMA-AID) on Tuesday in Lagos.
Adedewe, represented by the LASHMA Permanent Secretary, Dr Emmanuella Zamba, said the initiative aims to make emergency care in Lagos more timely, organized, and humane, ultimately saving more lives.
According to him, the programme covers up to 48 hours of in-facility treatment, necessary to stabilize active Ilera Eko enrolls and other vulnerable residents.
He emphasized that LASHMA-AID is not just about ambulances or approvals, but about saving critical minutes and preserving lives.
“It is about ensuring that, in moments of crisis, our ILERA EKO enrollees and the vulnerable are not left unattended due to financial barriers, confusion, panic, or fear—whether at home, at work, or at the scene of an emergency. Our swift response can protect lives, as the adage says, ‘a stitch in time saves nine,’” he said.
Adedewe explained that LASHMA-AID brings all stakeholders into a single, coordinated pathway for pre-hospital care, inter-facility transfer, and early stabilization.
He stated that hospitals, ambulance service providers, regulators, and the internal emergency team have all been sensitized and are ready to implement the programme.
The chairman expressed optimism that providers would view LASHMA-AID 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 ask all partners to see themselves as co-owners of this system,” he said.
Adedewe affirmed that professionalism and integrity remain core values, stressing that LASHMA-AID is designed to support emergency care and not to be exploited. He noted that necessary checks and sanctions would be applied where abuses are detected to protect the programme’s integrity.
He also confirmed that usage patterns would be monitored, feedback from facilities and enrollees reviewed, and processes refined to enhance service delivery.
“Our goal is not just to have an emergency programme, but one that becomes smarter, more responsive, and a foundation for others to emulate,” he said.
Adedewe cited Sections 6 and 7 of the Executive Order mandating social health insurance for all residents, signed by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on July 16, 2024, as instrumental to the development of LASHMA-AID. He commended the Governor’s commitment to providing affordable, quality healthcare for Lagos residents.
LASHMA’s Coordinator of Regulations, Mr Tosin Awosika, said LASHMA-AID is designed to give providers confidence that all costs incurred during life-threatening emergencies are covered, reducing needless loss of lives.
Similarly, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, said the inauguration demonstrates that Lagos is prepared to provide emergency medical support to residents.
Ogunyemi noted that emergency responses had long been fragmented and poorly coordinated, largely because patients could not immediately bear the cost of treatment, while healthcare providers faced uncertainty about reimbursement.
She lauded LASHMA for closing this gap through a structured, coordinated, and financially protected emergency care system.
“Every second counts in an emergency, and access to care without fear of catastrophic bills can make the difference between life and death,” Ogunyemi said.
To ensure universal health coverage, she said the Governor dedicated one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) as an equity fund, increasing it from $1 billion to $3 billion annually, making Sanwo-Olu the first governor in Nigeria to implement such a system.
“Through LASHMA-AID, we are protecting lives, strengthening our healthcare system, and building a Lagos where emergency care is timely and every resident has a fair chance to survive and thrive,” she said.
Ogunyemi urged all healthcare facilities and ambulance operators to capture and report emergency service data accurately, stressing that reliable data is critical to the sustainability of the state’s social health insurance scheme.
