Lagos State has enrolled over 720,000 residents on its health insurance scheme and has partnered over 250 health facilities to ensure enrollees get seamless access to health care.
This was disclosed by Emmanuella Zamba, general manager, Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), during the 2022 ILERA EKO Day and the launch of ILERA EKO Service Charter and the ILERA EKO Enrollee Handbook and Bill of rights.
Zamba said with over 720,000 enrollees, she and her team were intentionally building Ilera Eko as a brand that means what it says and says what it means.
Speaking earlier at the event, Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, said with the passage of the Lagos State Health Law in 2015, Lagos State’s role toward health insurance began more than six years ago with full commencement in 2019.
Abayomi, who was represented by Zamba said the current administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was committed to ensuring that all residents of Lagos State, regardless of their socio-cultural background or economic status, have access to quality, equitable, and affordable healthcare as a step toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Lagos State.
According to him, “Since the commencement of the ILERA EKO Social Health Plan, they have taken actionable steps towards improving healthcare service delivery on the Scheme. The Agency has increased health benefits on the ILERA EKO plan, and various provider improvement initiatives are also being implemented just to ensure all our customers enjoy quality health services.
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“Recently, the agency launched a Diaspora plan, a novel initiative in the Nigerian Social Health Insurance space. I am sure we are all aware of the ILERA EKO Customer App, the ILERA EKO Telemedicine App, and the ILERA EKO USSD Codes. You will agree with me that the scheme is indeed a customer-centric one,” the commissioner stated.
He hinted that to commemorate this effort and celebrate its customers, they came up with a day, themed ‘ILERA EKO Day’ to appreciate customers’ commitment in the past years.
“This day not only marks a distinct milestone of the Agency, but also the State Governments’ effort to ensure sustained access to quality and affordable health care to the teeming Lagos population. On this day we would also be launching the ILERA EKO Service Charter and the ILERA EKO Enrollee Handbook and Bill of rights,” Abayomi added.
He also said that these projects have been launched with the sole purpose of institutionalising a service delivery regime that is defined by a high level of probity, accessibility, and transparency; coupled with professionalism, timeliness, and accuracy, amongst others.
Hakeem Muri-Okunola, head of service, Lagos State, who also spoke at the event, said the launch of the Service Charter, Enrollee Handbook and Bill of Right were all meant to let beneficiaries know their rights and responsibilities when they access health centres.
“The Service Charter itself is a social service contract between ourselves as a government, represented by the agency and our citizens to tell them the minimum acceptable service level performance that we will be offering. It is also a channel where they can render complaints, and recommendations and even commend us when they feel that we are doing a good job.
“We encourage everyone to spread the word, tell your neighbours, enrol your domestic workers, employees, family and friends so that everybody can benefit from this affordable health service in Lagos State,” Muri-Okunola said.
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