Adeyinka Adeniji 
Background
As part of efforts to cushion the effects of the economic hardship occasioned by the Federal Government’s removal of petroleum subsidy, and floating of the Naira, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, both the federal government and state governments have at different times announced a number of palliatives aimed at bringing succour to the citizenry who are groaning under the pains Petroleum subsidies removal and harmonization of the forex regimes are two major reforms embarked on by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the moment he took over the reins of government on May 29, 2023 from former President Muhammadu Buhari, at the time had served terms of eight years as president.
Tinubu at different foras had canvassed the need to salvage the sinking national economy and appealed to Nigerians to be patient and bear with the government as hard core policies need to be taken to confront frontally the problem now otherwise the nation will suffer serious head winds in years ahead. To assuage the fears of Nigerian public and cushion the sufferings of the people, the FG, nonetheless, announced measures to mitigate the negative effects of its policies.
Palliatives offered by govt
Arising from this development, the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwu-Olu, in July 2023, alongside many state governors announced a range of interventions cutting across sectors for the people of the state. Some of the areas of interventions by the governor include healthcare, transportation, and food. In the transportation sector, the governor announced a reduction in fares charged across the state’s intermodal transportation system; the Bus Rapid Transit services, LAGFERRY, and the Train Mass Transit lines.
In a communique announcing the palliatives, the state government also admonished private operators in the transport sector to consider ways they can offer relief to members of the public who are made to spend a substantial chunk of their monthly wages on transport as a result of a hike in pump prices of petrol. Investigation has revealed that in the transportation sector, the various interventions announced by the governor have yielded instant results as the different mode of transport services offered by the state government reported increase in patronage.
This is due to the reduced fares on state-owned means of transportation, just as private operators in the industry cited general hike in prices of goods including spare parts, and services as reason for their inability to reduce fares of transport service delivered by them.
Free healthcare delivery
One of the cardinal palliatives offered by the state government in healthcare deliver is in respect of delivery of babies by women and this covers the cost of normal pregnancy delivery, caesarean sessions, and antenatal services in state-owned hospitals. Prices of some relevant drugs and tests were also subsidised.
According to the Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, other than financial relief for homes, the implementation of free antenatal care and child delivery services would help improve maternal and child health indices in Lagos.
Outcry
Recall that the governor sometime last year embarked on a personal monitoring of the implementation of the health palliative initiatives by visiting some state-owned healthcare delivery formations. His visit was among others to ensure judicious implementation of the policy for the benefits of the greater majority of Lagosians who avail themselves of the services and also to feel the pulse of the public on the effective implementation of the policy given that there has been outcries in some quarters of the state over the poor implementation of the policy.
This is as some government hospitals were reportedly charging exorbitant and extorting members of the public for the services as against the directive of the governor for free and subsidized services in some cases. This development has birthed widespread perceptions across the state that the much-touted free antenatal care and delivery services promised by Sanwo-Olu in state owned hospitals are not anywhere near the truth but simply a mirage and political gimmicks to win the sympathy of the people of the state.
Since this outcries and the governor’s embarking on inspection of the state-owned facilities, investigation has revealed a change in attitude by the operators in these facilities as there has been some measure of compliance with the directive of the governor. A recent findings by the report who visited some of these facilities shown in some of General Hospitals and Primary Health Care Centres that there is a substantial level of compliance with the government’s health palliative directives.
Uncoordinated operations
Prior to the governor’s offering of palliatives in the healthcare sector, many have observed and complained by the uncoordinated level of operations in government owned health facilities such as the general hospitals and primary healthcare centres scattered across the state. Some of the areas of concern of the people majorly include billing for treatments, drugs and tests.
And most families, the cost of birth at these facilities were said to be quite exorbitant. A situation that many of the families said have left them with no other options to patronise most times independent nurses and midwives, traditional birth attendants and even healthcare facilities operated by quacks and questionable professionals.
For instance, in some of these government- owned facilities the cost of a normal birth varied between N60, 000 and N90, 000 while CS births, it goes between N140, 000 and N165, 000. These prices for most of the families who welcomed the palliatives announced by the governor, was dreadful to think of and the main reason they avoid a visit to government facilities.
Sanity
However, the intervention of the state government, according to report and even some of the people spoken to in some of the facilities visited, some form of sanity has returned to the mode of operation and billing, there is now appreciable uniformity billing reduction. For instance, there is acceptable reduction in the cost of ANC from N30, 000 to N10, 000; while those who had signed on for the state’s health insurance scheme (Ilera Eko) N5, 600. A staff at Oke Odo (Agege) General Hospital, who spoke to New Telegraph on ground of anonymity because she is not the authorised spokesperson of the hospital, said, “They don’t pay anything after the N30, 000 because of palliative. Caesarian sessions are now free.”
She also said: “But we only ask them to get things we don’t have in the hospital while the operation itself is free.” Corroborating claims by the hospital staff, a female patient, Adebari Aishatu, who had just delivered a baby boy, said she only paid N10, 500 fee, which is under the palliative measures. According to her, “My husband made the payment but we didn’t pay any other amount apart from that.
We only had to buy those things that were not available in the hospital. They provided every other things we needed.” Another family, who spoke to New Telegraph at the Meiran Primary Health Centre, in Agbado Oke Odo LCDA, said they were not aware of the palliative measures before attending the health centre, but were glad that they were avail the services under the palliatives measures
The Ogunyimika family, who were made to pay the palliative intervention fees, for ANC and delivery, commended the state government for coming to the aid of the people, noting that they could have either be asked to pay more or swindled by unscrupulous healthcare givers. While another family at Agbelekale Health Centre also confirmed that they were made to pay the palliative intervention fee of N30, 000 only, instead of the usual N165, 000 naira charged before the introduction of palliatives.
Public sensitisation
This discovery in most of the patients spoken with, is the urgent need All the cases, it was revealed there is a need for the government to step up public sensitisation about the health palliative initiative. The Shuaibu family, who are residents of Ijaiye-Ojokoro, appreciated the Lagos State government for the gesture, but their case revealed that the government may have more to do in the area of public sensitisation.
Though they were made to pay the reduced price of 10,500 for ANC enrolment, the wife, Morolake, said they were not aware of the palliative measure until they got to the clinic. While government hospitals have experienced a surge in the rate of ANC enrolments, the Ile Epo Oke Odo General Hospital staff, however, lamented the fact that many Lagosians still do not know about the state Health Insurance Scheme, also known as Ilera Eko. Another family, who delivered a male child in Meiran PHC, canvassed for adequate publicity and sensitisation as the only way for the policy to gain the expected attraction and success level as envisaged by the state governor, who is very desirous in ensuring that the people benefit immensely from these various interventions of his. Publicity, according to a public commentator and child health enthusiast, Bosede Akinde, is an important aspect of health policy monitoring.
In her words, “adequate sensitisation will raise awareness among citizens, of the rights and privileges and also deter unscrupulous elements in the state’s health services sector from taking advantage of unsuspecting members of the public. “This will also ensure adequate percolation of benefits of policies and initiatives.”
