The former Chairman, Lagos State House Committee on Health, Mr. Hodewu Suru Avoseh, has called on the residents of the State to massively enrol on the ILERA EKO health plan for access to affordable healthcare services.

Avoseh, who is presently a Commissioner in the Lagos State Civil Service Commission, stated this at the JJT Park, Alausa, during the Fitness and Wellness session organised by the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) to round up the Year 2021 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Week.

He said if every Lagos resident could enrol on the health plan, anyone who needs medical care will have access to healthcare as there would be more funds in the pool to pay medical bills.

According to him, massive enrolment by residents will lead to an improvement in productivity and economy of the State, adding that the aim of the Lagos State Health Scheme is to ensure that affordable and quality healthcare is available to every resident, irrespective of their socio-cultural differences.

The Commissioner informed that LASHMA was the State’s response to domesticating the National Health Scheme, advising the Agency to do its best in educating residents that ILERA EKO is not like the daily, weekly or monthly contribution made for future collection of money, rather it is a pool where everybody contributes to providing medical treatment for those who are sick.

Urging LASHMA to ensure that the Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) adhere strictly to the terms and conditions of the Health Scheme, Avoseh stressed that the HMOs are not the custodians of the Scheme rather it is the people who need to have value for their money.

The representative of the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Dr. Ore Finnih, commended LASHMA for doing a good job in educating Lagos residents on ILERA EKO and the benefits of enrolling on the health plan.

She said that communities need to be involved to enable Lagos State Government attain its Universal Health Coverage., saying “This is important because, in Lagos State, we have moved to a position where communities design their way in health insurance”.

Dr. Finnih urged Lagos residents, who are yet to enrol on ILERA EKO, to do so immediately as access to care on the health plan will reduce their financial burden and payment out-of-pocket whenever they need medical attention.

She advised residents to ensure that they engage in regular exercise for about 20 to 25 minutes daily or three times a week as this will assist in having good health.

The Board Chairman, LASHMA, Dr. Adetokunbo Alakija, recalled that since the early days of multilateralism, there has been global solidarity to ensure that everyone, everywhere, either in the high-income, middle-income or low-income countries, has access to quality healthcare.

He said the initiative led to global goals such as Health for all 2000, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The Chairman explained that UHC is not just about curative medicine but preventive, adding that good nutrition and physical activities are proven preventive measures against many communicable diseases.

Dr. Alakija assured Lagos residents that LASHMA would continue to devise innovative means of advancing the UHC agenda in Lagos State, using the tools of regulation and health insurance providers to ensure that no one is left behind.

Public Servants from the various Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs) in the State, Civil Society, stakeholders, LASHMA partners, Health Maintenance Organisations and LASHMA staff led by the General Manager, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, participated in aerobics and Salsa dance to keep fit and stay healthy.