The Lagos State Government has commenced a fresh enrolment exercise to provide one-year free health insurance coverage to vulnerable residents in the Badagry Division.
The initiative is being implemented under the state’s mandatory ILERA EKO health insurance scheme as part of efforts to improve access to quality and affordable healthcare for residents.
The two-day EKO Social Health Alliance (EKOSHA) Community Storm was organised by the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) in collaboration with Health District V and the DIDE Foundation. The outreach was flagged off at Posukoh Ward in Badagry.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of LASHMA, Emmanuella Zamba, said the state’s social health insurance scheme was mandatory for all residents, regardless of their socio-economic status.
She explained that residents enrolled in ILERA EKO would have access to consultations, treatment for common and chronic illnesses, maternal healthcare, emergency services, surgeries, pharmaceutical care and other essential medical services.
According to Zamba, the EKOSHA Community Storm was designed to bring health insurance closer to vulnerable residents by enrolling eligible beneficiaries on the scheme at no cost for one year.
She disclosed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had increased the state’s Equity Fund for the enrolment of vulnerable residents from N1 billion to N3 billion.
She added that the government had also earmarked one per cent of the state’s Consolidated Revenue Fund to sustain the programme.
The permanent secretary urged beneficiaries to take advantage of the scheme and seek medical attention at healthcare facilities whenever they fall ill rather than resorting to self-medication.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of Health District V, Oladapo Ashiyanbi, said residents participating in the outreach would benefit from child immunisation, free health insurance registration, eye and tuberculosis screening, dental services and other medical interventions.
The Chairman of Olorunda Local Council Development Area, Ajose Kumayon, disclosed that the council had donated a boat to improve healthcare access for residents of the Ojogun riverine community.
He added that two additional boats would also be provided to further improve transportation and access to healthcare services in the area.
The Possu of Badagry Kingdom, Chief Sulaimon Iroko, described the initiative as timely, noting that the rising cost of healthcare had made it difficult for many residents to access medical services.
“This is a good initiative by the State Government, as going to the hospital is very expensive for a lot of people. With the free health insurance for the vulnerable, there is no doubt that the good health of the people will improve,” he said.
Iroko urged eligible residents to take advantage of the programme, noting that he had personally benefited from the ILERA EKO scheme.
LASHMA said the outreach had so far enrolled vulnerable residents across six of Badagry’s 10 wards, including the riverine Ojogun community, while enrolment would continue in the remaining wards.
The exercise also featured the distribution of free West African Examinations Council (WAEC) forms to secondary school students in beneficiary communities through the DIDE Foundation.
