Martins Ifijeh
The governorship candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Jide Sanwo-olu, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jimi Agbaje, wednesday boycotted the governorship debate put together by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos Branch.
The NMA Lagos Debate was put together to enable candidates share their healthcare agenda with residents of the state.
But other governorship candidates however outlined their plans for the health sector in the state.
The candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Babatunde Gbadamosi, said Lagos State has the capacity to provide free universal health coverage for the residence, hence his resolve to put plans on ground to ensure that all residents of the state benefit from healthcare, irrespective of financial status.
He said: “If elected, I will jettison the recently launched Lagos Health Insurance Scheme because only few people can enroll into the scheme. This scheme in a way will exclude the poor from benefitting because they may not have the funds to enroll into it.
Speaking at the event, the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Owolabi Salis, alleged that several primary healthcare centres in the state were non-functional, adding that, if elected as governor, he would ensure that they are revamped while healthcare personnel would be given incentives to work better.
Also speaking, the candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Funso Awe, plans to build the country’s biggest tertiary health facility in the state.
The candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Oluwaseun Ajireloja, on his part, said the present one per cent consolidated revenue fund the state reserved for improved healthcare will be increased to five per cent.
