The Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) has partnered Microfinance Banks in the State as part of efforts to ensure that Lagosians at the grassroots have access to quality healthcare, through the Lagos Health Scheme, in order to live a healthy life.
The General Manager of the Agency, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, speaking at a meeting with the Managing Directors of Microfinance Banks at NECA House, Ikeja, said that the partnership would open up more business opportunities for the banks in the State and increase the number of enrollees who will benefit from the scheme.
Dr. Zamba, represented at the meeting by the Head of Finance, LASHMA, Mrs. Aramide Ojo, added that with the partnership, more people at the grassroots, who are predominantly in the informal sector, would take advantage of the collaboration to enrol in the scheme.
She emphasised that the Lagos State Government is committed to ensuring the realisation of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for all residents, irrespective of their economic or social class, adding that it is, therefore, imperative for Lagosians to have access to the Health Insurance Scheme.
The General Manager said that the Scheme is a social insurance plan, which is affordable and beneficial to all Lagos residents, as against the huge financial cost associated with securing adequate medical treatment by Lagosians on their own.
She implored the captains of the Microfinance Banks to cascade the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) to the grassroots by developing products around the scheme and ensuring that all their customers subscribe, saying that “Sick customers cannot be productive or pay their loans. We should also not expect any positive contribution to the economic development of the State from those who are not physically fit and healthy”.
While maintaining that the Health Scheme initiative is aimed at ensuring Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for all, including the vulnerable, Zamba appealed to the Microfinance Banks to support the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) in realising its objectives as the banks are vital to the social and economic foundation at the grassroots.
The President Emeritus, National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMB), Dr. Valentine Whensu, who commended the Lagos State Government for establishing the Scheme, said that Microfinance Banks in the State would network with the State Government and the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) in ensuring the success and sustainability of the Scheme.
He said that there is no Bank that goes to the grassroots except for Microfinance Banks, therefore, the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) made a good choice “to partner with us as we are the people of the grassroots”.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Response Team (DSVRT), Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, has urged public servants in the State to report cases of sexual harassment at their offices and workplaces.
She stated this while speaking on a webinar training programme with the theme “Understanding POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace)” organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions for workers in the State Public Service.
The Coordinator described sexual harassment as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature”, adding that it has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.
Mrs. Vivour-Adeniyi said that sexual harassment does not literally have to be sexual in nature but rather can simply comprise comments or behaviour that create a hostile or offensive work environment.
She, however, noted that the law doesn’t prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very serious, but that sexual harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe.
While noting that Section 262 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State provides that “Any person who sexually harasses another in Lagos State is guilty of a crime and is liable to imprisonment of three years on conviction”, she advised that sexually harassed staff should keep a diary, save any evidence, tell someone, meet with a therapist, speak up and speak out.
The DSVRT Coordinator, therefore, suggested that the Lagos State Public Service Rules (PSR) should have provisions that address sexual harassment in the public service, maintaining that there should be zero tolerance for all forms of sexual harassment in the public service with stringent rules against harassment put in place to serve as a deterrence, while a safe system of reporting harassment should be instituted.
Earlier, in his address on the webinar series, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Establishments and Training, Mr. Abiodun Bamgboye stressed that sexual harassment, if not properly handled or reported, could lead to depression and ultimately become a psychological issue on the part of the victim.
He observed that sexual harassment can only be examined under grievances and whistleblowing in the extant PSR, noting that public servants, due to cultural orientation, hardly report sexual harassment because of stigmatisation.
Bamgboye, however, enjoined anyone in the public service that had been sexually harassed to rise above the hurdle and report such incident immediately.
