Towards expanding frontiers in the quest to build a virile and productive health system that will be a a National benchmark in the running of health inclined endeavours in Nigeria, pharmacists under the aegis of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Lagos State branch, have outlined a 4-point agenda for the  Lagos State Governor-elect, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Presenting the 4-point agenda before the Governor-elect in a congratulatory letter, Pharm Adeniran Bolanle  and Pharm Babayemi Oyekunle, the Chairman and Secretary of the PSN Lagos branch, respectively, called for re-organisation of the Managed Healthcare Programme of the State Government which they described as “appearing haphazard” and “unduly skewed” against prime stakeholders in healthcare as presently structured.

“This is to ensure an impactful programme which shall have commensurate coverage/growth rate.  It is a worrisome commentary to put on record that coverage of the NHIS at national level since inception in 2006 remains an abysmally woeful less than 2.0 percent (1.72 percent based on the declaration of the last Executive Secretary of the Scheme).

The woes of the NHIS is holistically traceable to a poor implementation mode through and through,” they noted. The PSN called on the new Governor to urgently open hitherto restricted borders of restriction in benefit packages available to health professionals in terms of privileges and resources.

“The welfare of all health professionals must be grounded on equity, fairplay and justice to all concerned.  Our Lagos cannot continue to walk on the path of greatness if only a personage as epitomised by dominating the policy direction of the State Ministry of Health in 20 straight years.

“We at the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (Lagos State Branch) continue to assure Your Excellency of our determination to work with you and in this direction, we declare very boldly that we have a pack of broad spectrum members who can help move your administration to the next level which is the greater Lagos we dream of.”

The Lagos PSN is also seeking establishment of a Faculty of Pharmacy at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo as part of their aspiration to build capacity in the march towards the greater Lagos initiative, even as they are calling for revalval of dwindling fortunes of the Drug Revolving Fund project as a major tool to ensure availability of drugs in public hospital pharmacies in Lagos State.

“Your Excellency, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (Lagos State Branch) will commit itself to offering advice to the Lagos State Government at no cost on how to achieve zero funding for these projects which only requires sound cost recovery mechanism as a bedrock,” the PSN excecutives noted.