The Lagos State Government has perfected plans to enroll at least 3 million residents of the state into its health insurance scheme within the next one year.
This was disclosed by the General Manager of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, during a news briefing to announce the “Ilera Eko” grassroots sensitization and enrollment drive across the local councils in the state.
According to Dr. Emmanuella, the recent kind gesture is in line with the government’s drive of providing access to qualitative healthcare to the over 24 million people living in the state, especially in the face of the recent Covid-19 pandemic which exposed the vulnerability of the health sector across the country.
In addition, he revealed that the state has so far, registered 527,000 residents under the scheme and hope to enroll more going forward.
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Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the Office of Civic Engagement in the State, Princess Aderemi Adebowale, harped on the need for the scheme. She noted that the recent drive is in line with the current administration’s focus of making sure that all residents in the state have access to quality and affordable healthcare regardless of their economic status.
She further added that: ”This has also necessitated the continuous initiation and promotion of various intervention programmes that include the Lagos State Health Insurance Schemes also known as ‘ILERA EKO.’”
Recall that Lagos State Government had earlier launched a Health Scheme for the state tagged ‘’Ilera Eko’’. Enrollees into the Scheme are expected to enjoy free consultation, treatment of common sicknesses lke Malaria, hypertension, diabetes among others.