Coronavirus: Sanwo-Olu announces free treatment for maternity, emergency patients

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says the state will take responsibility for the medical bills of all maternity and emergency patients at all state-owned secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities.

Mr Sanwo-Olu made this known on Saturday at Lagos House, Marina, while giving reporters an update on the lockdown in the state as part of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Sanwo-Olu said the state government would treat such category of patients free of charge, as part of efforts to cushion the effects of the lockdown.

He said: ”As additional ameliorating measure to complement the welfare packages previously announced, the Lagos State Government will, for the duration of the restriction on movement, take full responsibility for the medical bills of all patients at all Lagos State-owned secondary healthcare facilities.

”The patients to benefit are those that fall in the following category of Emergency/Casualty cases, including registration, laboratory tests, surgeries, and drugs.

”The patients that fall in the category of Maternity Cases, include normal delivery and Caesarean Sections (CS).

”What this means is that, at this time, patients with the above-listed conditions will not need to make any payments to access treatment and care at all our 27 General Hospitals across the state.”

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COVID-19 UPDATE Dear Lagosians, It has been 5 days since the commencement of the Federal Government (FG) restriction order, being part of measures to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has not been easy, but clearly, this necessary sacrifice is a step in the right direction to contain the spread of the virus. I want to use this opportunity to announce that during this restriction period, the state government would undertake full responsibility of the medical bills for patients in the Lagos State owned secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities. This new palliative scheme will cover medical expenses for child delivery of pregnant women as well as emergency, casualty cases, purchase of drugs, laboratory testing and surgeries. Whilst the stimulus food package introduced at the beginning of the restriction has recorded remarkable positive impact in the lives of the intended beneficiaries, we are currently addressing the teething issues associated with the implementation process. The restriction order has started paying off, as the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has given updates on how they have taken advantage of the absence of traffic on the road, to make substantial progress on contact tracing. Despite the surge in the number of confirmed cases recorded in the state, the patients in the isolation centres are recovering faster than anticipated. As at yesterday, the Lagos State Government has successfully treated and discharged 24 COVID-19 patients. I hereby use this opportunity to sound a note of warning to hoodlums who may want to take advantage of the ongoing restriction to rob residents, as the Lagos State Government is committed to ensuring the security of residents’ lives and properties. We have ordered 24-hours security surveillance across residential areas, to ensure the police dislodges hoodlums from various spots across the state. We will also be introducing more measures to ensure the lockdown remains effective. Thank You all and God bless.

A post shared by Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu (@jidesanwoolu) on Apr 4, 2020 at 1:49pm PDT

The governor commended law-abiding residents of the state and urged them to keep obeying all directives issued by health experts.

He also reprimanded those who insisted on flouting the safety directives and guidelines.

”To those who seek to take undue advantage of their fellow Lagosians at this time, and all those whose aim is to undermine the efforts of the various health authorities responsible for keeping us safe, let this strong warning go out,” he said.

”The strong arms of the law will catch up with you sooner than later, and you will be brought to justice swiftly and comprehensively.”

Sanwo-Olu said the government would not hesitate to prosecute anyone flouting the directives of the lockdown.

He said the authorities had already impounded over 400 commercial buses for flouting the order.