The Lagos State Government on Thursday unveiled the LASHMA-AID Emergency Services Programme, a state-led intervention designed to ensure that no resident is denied life-saving care due to cost, delay or administrative barriers.
The programme 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 launch 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, alongside sustained investments in infrastructure, digital health systems and emergency response.
Dr. Ogunyemi highlighted key reforms, including the Smart Health Information Platform linking public health facilities, the expansion of 24-hour primary healthcare centres, the upgrade of over 27 PHCs under the World Bank-supported IMPACT Programme, and the growth of functional PHCs to more than 336 across the state.
She further noted that Lagos has reduced out-of-pocket healthcare 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, increased to ₦3 billion annually and made a first-line charge.
According to her, LASHMA-AID fills long-standing gaps in emergency response by providing a structured, coordinated and financially protected system that prioritises saving lives before administrative checks.
Dr. Ogunyemi explained that residents can access emergency care through the universal emergency numbers 112 or 767, as well as the dedicated LASHMA toll-free line, 0800 000 LASHMA. Medical evacuation and response are delivered through LASAMBUS, recently strengthened with ambulance bikes and Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) ambulances.
She disclosed that LASAMBUS has attended to over 5,000 emergency cases this year alone, adding that approval has been granted for the recruitment of additional nurses and bike riders to further boost rapid response capacity.
In his goodwill message, the 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 noted that the initiative aligns with the Health Scheme Law and the governor’s Executive Order, reinforcing the principle that preservation of life must always come first, while assuring the continued support of the legislature.
Earlier, in a welcome address, the Chairman of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr. Adebayo Adedewe, said the programme was conceived from Sections 6 and 7 of the Executive Order and developed through extensive stakeholder engagement with both empanelled and non-empanelled healthcare providers.
Dr. Adedewe explained that LASHMA-AID covers up to 48 hours of in-facility emergency stabilisation for enrollees and vulnerable residents, guided by clear operational protocols, provider handbooks and escalation pathways.
He stressed that no emergency patient should be turned away, adding that the initiative integrates hospitals, ambulance operators and LASHMA’s internal coordination unit into a single response chain for pre-hospital care, inter-facility transfers and early stabilisation.
Speaking further in an interview, Dr. Adedewe urged residents not to delay seeking care during emergencies, assuring that LASHMA would bear the cost of stabilisation while affected persons are subsequently enrolled into the scheme where necessary.
He added that data-driven monitoring would track response times, utilisation and outcomes to enable continuous improvement, with a target response time of two to three minutes for emergency activation.
The Permanent Secretary of LASHMA, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, said the programme addresses a major gap that had previously discouraged private healthcare providers from emergency participation due to lack of guaranteed payment.
She explained that both empanelled and non-empanelled facilities are now covered for emergency stabilisation, with LASHMA assuming responsibility for payment whether the patient is insured or identified as vulnerable.
Dr. Zamba noted that the 24-hour toll-free line enables effective triage, ambulance dispatch and coordinated referrals, ensuring that identification and insurance verification are addressed only after lives are saved.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on the Parastatal Monitoring Office, Hon. Ibrahim Obanikoro, commended the affordability and inclusiveness of the Lagos health insurance scheme, describing LASHMA-AID as a step closer to global best practice.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos Health District II, Dr. Dayo Lajide, said the initiative would significantly improve emergency referrals, citing urgent obstetric transfers from primary healthcare centres to general hospitals as a clear life-saving benefit.
In a goodwill message, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr. Olanrewaju Bajulaiye, represented by the Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Adesegun Ogundeji, pledged sustained public enlightenment to ensure widespread awareness and utilisation of the programme.
Closing the event, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Dr. Oluwatoni Adeyemi, said LASHMA-AID demonstrates Lagos State’s resolve to institutionalise people-centred emergency care, urging all stakeholders to take ownership of its implementation.
She emphasised 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 national reference point for organised emergency healthcare delivery.
