The Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Adetokunbo O. Fabamwo encouraged people living with disabilities to take advantage of the benefits of Health Insurance Scheme made available to them by the Lagos State Government which offers free medical care services for premium at various primary health care centres. He gave the charge at the third UV Care, an awareness Programme organized by Empathy Driven Women Initiative International (EDWIN) which held recently in Lagos. It was themed, “Disability and Free Healthcare. Hope in the Horizon?”
While delivering the keynote lecture titled ‘Special People, The Law, Their Health’, Prof Fabamwo affirmed that there is a law that stipulates free medical and health services in public institutions for people living with disability but most of the services in these health institutions are run privately, and this makes the law difficult to implement”. In the interim, while the Health Insurance Scheme is being implemented, Prof Fabamwo opined that a special fund could be created to take care of this cause and suggested that pharmaceutical companies and similar corporate organizations who do business with government hospitals should be encouraged to give a certain percentage of their profit to cater for these special persons.
In her response, the convener, Mrs. Uri Ngozichukwuka thanked the Chief Medical Director for his presence and his interest in the cause. She spoke about her passion and the dire need to help people living with disabilities, she said their health should be made a priority and a commission for special persons should be established.
The event which held in conjunction with Albinism Awareness Society and the Eye Doctors and Dermatology Society of Lagos, had other groups in attendance, they include Down Syndrome Foundation of Nigeria and Autism Parents Association of Nigeria.
Other dignitaries in attendance include, Princess Teni Aofiyebi, as Mother of the Day; Dr. Saliu Oseni, President of The Lagos State Chapter, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA); Air Vice Marshall Femi Gbadebo, Grand Patron of the day and Mrs. Rose Mordi, President, Down Syndrome Foundation of Nigeria.
