By Ayomide Otitoju
Lagos State has taken a major step toward improving emergency healthcare delivery with the launch of the LASHMA-AID Emergency Services Programme, a state-led intervention aimed at ensuring that residents are not denied life-saving care due to cost, delays or administrative barriers.
The programme was formally unveiled on Thursday at The Providence Hotel, GRA, Ikeja. It 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.
Delivering the keynote address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Kemi Ogunyemi, described the initiative as a historic milestone that reinforces Lagos State’s commitment to universal health coverage and responsive governance.
She said LASHMA-AID reflects the Governor’s resolve to guarantee unhindered access to healthcare, noting that health remains a core pillar of the THEMES Plus Agenda. Ogunyemi highlighted sustained investments in infrastructure, digital health systems and emergency response, including the Smart Health Information Platform linking public facilities, the expansion of 24-hour primary healthcare centres, upgrades of more than 27 PHCs under the World Bank-supported IMPACT Programme, and the growth of functional PHCs to over 336 statewide.
According to her, Lagos has also reduced out-of-pocket spending through expanded health insurance coverage and strengthened protection for the poor by dedicating one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund as an equity fund, now increased to ₦3 billion annually and made a first-line charge.
Dr. Ogunyemi said LASHMA-AID addresses long-standing gaps in emergency response by providing a structured, coordinated and financially protected system that prioritises saving lives before administrative checks. Residents can access emergency care through the universal emergency numbers 112 or 767, or the dedicated LASHMA toll-free line, 0800 000 LASHMA. Medical evacuation and response are delivered through the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), recently strengthened with ambulance bikes and mobile intensive care unit ambulances.
She disclosed that LASAMBUS attended to over 5,000 cases in the past year, with approval granted for additional recruitment of nurses and bike riders to further enhance rapid response capacity.
In his goodwill message, the Head of Service, Mr. Bode Agoro, described LASHMA-AID as a landmark intervention that reinforces the State Government’s commitment to safeguarding the lives, wellbeing and productivity of residents, particularly public servants and pensioners, during medical emergencies.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Public Service Office, Mrs. Sunkanmi Oyegbola, Agoro said the initiative underscores the visionary leadership of Governor Sanwo-Olu in strengthening the healthcare system and ensuring that no resident is left behind regardless of socio-economic status. He urged public servants and pensioners yet to enrol on ILERA EKO to do so, assuring of the Public Service’s full support for the programme.
Also speaking, Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Hon. Musibau Aina Lawal, said LASHMA-AID translates legislative intent into practical, life-saving action by ensuring that emergency stabilisation takes precedence over enrolment verification or payment. He assured of continued legislative backing for the initiative.
Earlier, Chairman of the Lagos State Health Management Agency, Dr. Adebayo Adedewe, said the programme was developed from Sections 6 and 7 of the Governor’s Executive Order and shaped through extensive stakeholder engagement with both empanelled and non-empanelled providers.
He explained that LASHMA-AID covers up to 48 hours of in-facility emergency stabilisation for enrollees and vulnerable residents, supported by clear operational guidelines and escalation pathways. He stressed that no emergency patient should be turned away, noting that the initiative integrates hospitals, ambulance operators and LASHMA’s internal coordination unit into a single response chain.
In an interview, Dr. Adedewe urged residents not to delay seeking care during emergencies, assuring that LASHMA would bear the cost of stabilisation while patients are subsequently registered on the scheme. He added that data-driven monitoring would track response times, utilisation and outcomes, with a target activation response time of two to three minutes.
Permanent Secretary of LASHMA, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, said the programme closes a critical gap that previously discouraged private providers from participating in emergency care due to payment uncertainties. She noted that both empanelled and non-empanelled facilities are now covered for emergency stabilisation, with LASHMA assuming responsibility for payment whether patients are insured or identified as vulnerable.
Other speakers at the event included the Special Adviser to the Governor on Parastatal Monitoring Office, Hon. Ibrahim Obanikoro; Permanent Secretary, Lagos Health District II, Dr. Dayo Lajide; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr. Olanrewaju Bajulaiye, who pledged sustained public enlightenment to drive awareness and utilisation of the programme.
Closing the event, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Dr. Oluwatoni Adeyemi, said LASHMA-AID demonstrates Lagos State’s commitment to institutionalising people-centred emergency care. She noted that the success of the programme would be measured by lives saved, faster response times and renewed public confidence, as Lagos positions itself as a reference point for organised emergency care in Nigeria.
