By ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH –
Critical observers in the health sector have called on the Lagos state new governor-elects, Babajide Sanwoolu to prioritize the health sector.
Co-chairman, Lagos State Accountability Mechanism for Maternal & New Born Child Health (LASAM), Barrister Ayo Adebusoye, at the LASAM bi-Annual meeting in Lagos state, said while the population in Lagos state is increasing by the day, the public health facilities are heavily under pressure.
Going by the Abuja Declaration, 15 per cent of our budget supposed to be allocated to health, but Lagos state, in the 2018 budget allocated about 8.6 per cent to health, says Adebusoye.
While urging the incoming government to prioritise health budget releases, the co-chairman said it is not useful that we are having billions on papers in the budget if we don’t access the funds.
“Don’t forget that the health budget is talking about lives. The maternal mortality rate in Lagos state is unacceptably high. This budget is about life and death.
“In some areas in the state, we get as high as 500 deaths in every 100,000 live births and it is a situation where women are dying unnecessarily. This scenario will not change if we don’t see a change in the budget allocated to health,” he added.
Adebusoye said the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) is available, adding that Lagos state should position itself to access it by ensuring that the Board of the Primary Health Care Board and the Local Government Health Authority are inaugurated, adding that these are prerequisites for being able to access the BHCPF.
Adebusoye, while setting an agenda for the incoming government said, “We are very hopeful that one of the campaign manifestos of the incoming governmor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu is that he is going to increase the health budget to 15 per cent, going by the Abuja Declaration.
“We are very hopeful that will happen and that is why we want to ensure that we add value, show areas where civil society and development partners support because it is not going to be a one-man show.”
Lagos State Coordinator, Evidence For Action, Mamaye Programme, Adenike Badiora, said since the organization came into Lagos state in 2015 to 2016, one of their aims is to ensure that there is UHC for women and their children.
Badiora said the organization has worked physically and get evidence by working with policy makers to address issues around reduction of maternal and new born deaths, as no woman should die while bringing forth life.
“We intend to keep doing that. Our agenda is to keep working with the LASAM and synergise efforts in advocating for the new administration that is coming on board to increase or to improve the process of timely release for allotted resources.
“By the time we have the increased allocation of budget for health care service delivery in the state, we want this budgeted fund to be released in a timely manner so that it can translate into quality healthcare service for all residents in Lagos state,” she added.
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