The Lagos State Accountability Mechanism on Maternal and New Born Child Health (LASAM) has commended the Lagos State government over the launch of EKO TELEMED which is aimed at ensuring unhindered access to health services during the COVID-19 lockdown.
LASAM gave the commendation while featuring on Talkline, a radio program on EKO FM. The conversation focused on COVID-19 Response and Maternal Newborn and Child Health in Lagos State.
Barr Ayo Adebusoye, Co-Chairman, LASAM commended the Lagos State saying that TELEMED is a great innovation and improvement in the health sector because of the unique opportunity it creates for Lagosians, even at grassroots to access adequate healthcare.
He explained that, “TELEMED creates an opportunity for expectant mothers to access qualified doctors via phone for free. It’s toll free and the government is paying for the first two months. It is highly commendable.”
Barr Adebusoye stresses that the initiative has eased people of the stress in accessing health care services during the lockdown either because of far distance of health facilities or preference to stay at home.
He said the initiative should be continued and strengthened even after the lockdown has been lifted.
Speaking on the COVID-19 response, he charged mothers to ensure they comply to the safety measures, use face masks, hand sanitizers and regular hand washing as a way to reduce community transmission.
He explained that the Lagos State government should strengthen its community case identification, referral testing and early isolation.
“The government also needs to reduce the time between testing and getting results, so that it can reduce the likelihood of community transmission”, he added.
He also mentioned that it is important for all health workers in the primary and secondary health facilities to be provided with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by the State Government to ensure that expectant mothers and others who want to access health facilities do not pose a risk to health workers or are also not inadvertently exposed to COVID-19 infection by health workers who may have been infected by other patients.
Speaking on the projection in population rise after lockdown, Barr Ayo advised couples to be disciplined at this time and explore all available family planning methods.
“Families need to be disciplined and know that they should only give birth to children they can cater for. If not, after COVID-19, we will experience baby boom.”