Revive N5b Gbagada Cardiac & Renal Centre, LACSOP tells Lagos Government

Success Damian:

Lagos State Civil Society Partnership (LACSOP) an issue-led partnership working to promote voice, ownership and establishing a culture of accountability in governance through advocacy and working with development partners for the effective implementation of critical development issues and the SDGs, has called on the Lagos State Government to as a matter of urgency revive the N5billion Gbagada Cardiac & Renal Centre.

The group made the call during an Advocacy meeting to the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Prof. Akin Abayomi in his Alausa office recently.

“Funds should be allocated to revive the Five Billion Naira Gbagada Cardiac & Renal Centre through an effective PPP arrangement as a matter of urgency; there should be adequate budgetary allocation for comprehensive treatments of non -communicable diseases like Thyroid, Arthritis,” the group submitted.

Barr. Ayo Adebusoye, chairman LACSOP steering committee in a presentation made to the Hon. Commissioner for Health highlighted LACSOP’s activities and engagement over the years since its inception in 2007.

Some of the Submissions made by LACSOP to the commissioner on citizen’s priorities on the year 2020 Health Sector budget include that “The Y2020 health budget benchmark should be increased to 15% of the State Budget as promised by His Excellency during his campaign.”

Other requests include that Family Planning consumables budget line of N50m in the PHCB budget should be increased to N100m in the Y2020 Budget due to the huge population coverage; Budget for implementing Malaria programme should be mainly domiciled with the LSPHCB in accordance with Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR); that Budget for implementing the TBL programme should be mainly domiciled with LSPHCB in accordance with PHCUOR and that the Budget for implementing the FP/MCH/Nutrition programmes should be mainly domiciled with LSPHCB in accordance with PHCUOR

Other submissions include Budget for implementing the Immunization programme should be mainly domiciled with LSPHCB in accordance with PHCUOR; that Funds should be allocated on a quarterly basis to support the Community Health   Sector Forum (CHEF) in their role as Independent Quality Assurance Monitors at public health facilities in the State; Governance structures to ensure access to BHCPF as well as effective utilization like inauguration of the Governing Board of PHCB; inauguration of LGHAs & WHCs; opening of BHCPF accounts should be given urgent priority.

The group also advocated that provision should be made for regular recruitment of health workers as well as incentives to prevent the critical shortage of health workers in public health facilities.

The honorable commissioner applauded the efforts of LACSOP and its members. He said CSO’s gives them an objective assessment on their performance adding, “It is very important to have a healthy society, healthy mothers and children.” He further added that, this is the beginning of a long-term engagement between the ministry and LACSOP.

He further responded by saying that currently, the government has promised to increase health budget allocation at 1% on a yearly bases and over the next four years hopes to get to the 15% minimum pledged at the Abuja declaration in 2000 presently, there has been some increase in the current budget proposal presented to the governor.

He assured LACSOP that before the end of the year in December the PHCB chair and Board will be in place. 

“There are plans in place to review the Lagos State Health Sector Reform Law and by 2020 we should have a reform law review process completed.

Addressing the issue of brain drain of health care workers, he opined that, a process for recruiting new health workers should start before the end of assignment of any health personnel to avoid gaps in employment. He said “this is being addressed because it is a major impediment. Incentive for doctors is necessary but what is most important is providing enabling work environment; an environment where there are the right medical equipment’s in place, welfare, workload ratio, appreciation and psychological wellbeing addressed to avoid burn out.

Awareness on the Lagos State Health lnsurance Scheme is not as strong as it should be because there are still more to be put in place to provide the right services and until that is done they cannot actually roll out they are in the process of synchronizing CSO’s will be invited when they are ready for CSO to be part of the awareness campaign and reaching out to more enrollees.

He said there is a need for the Disability Law to be reviewed. The government is going through a process of redesigning all the facilities and hopes the new design will be ready to be adopted for new facilities and old ones upgraded with better energy conservation structure putting into consideration patients with trauma and PWDs to have better accessibility to care at the facilities.

He said LSMOH is making effort to address the issue of data management and would be having   a technical symposium on data management through the e-health programme and requested members of LACSOP to be part of the symposium.

Mental health / drug abuse to be tackled in 2020. The government is using a two pronged approach in addressing this issue; establishing hospitals that will provide holistic mental health services and a preventive method using community approach.