Take Advantage of Ilera Eko Health Insurance Scheme, Sanwo-Olu Urges Residents

Segun James

As more residents of the state enter retirement age, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has asked the people to take advantage of he Lagos State Health and Social Insurance Scheme (Ilera Eko) to enhance their wellbeing and to promote a healthier environment.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr Emmanuella Zamba, who represented the Governor stated at during press at Alausa, while giving updates on the Ilera Eko Health Scheme and other strategic interventions of the government so far.

“Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu brought out an executive order that was in July of 2024, and that executive order has made Ilera Eko mandatory for all residents of Lagos State.

“Now, this social health insurance plan is the most affordable qualitative plan that you can get anywhere for just a token amount of 15,000 per individual.

“You will be able to get benefits such as general outpatients treatment. you have a cough, you have a fever, you have malaria, your child is ill they will treat you.

“You can get admitted under it for 15 days, you can get glasses, you can get dental care, you can get chest x-ray, blood tests done, if you’re asthmatic, you can also come under the scheme, also sickle cell warriors are also invited to have some of their care under the scheme,” she said.

Zamba listed some of the achievements of the agency in the first quarter to include establishment of Ilera Eko cooperatives, for artisans, micro, small and medium enterprises.

“We have the Ilera Eko academy to train healthcare providers and quarterly Media Parley to create more public awareness on the social insurance health scheme.

“Ilera Eko is the state’s social health insurance bank, this has been made mandatory through the National Health Insurance Act of 2022, and Lagos State has keyed into it fully.

“We do surgeries, appendectomy, we do cataracts now, we do herniorrhaphy, and incision and drainage, those kind of things. We do those kind of minor to medium surgeries, those are also under the scheme, Zamba said.

The permanent secretary said that the scheme not only cover minor health challenges but it also ensures the coverage of some chronic health conditions

“If you are hypertensive or diabetic, you come under the scheme and you’ll be able to get your drugs on a monthly basis, if you have been on the scheme for over one year, you are able to get access to cancer care, you can get dialysis.

“We have telemedicine under the scheme, so once you enroll, you are able to, from the comfort of your home, either dial the hotline or you can download the telemedicine app, or you can walk into our virtual booths and still access care,” Zamba said.

She gave a breakdown of the different categories of the scheme that residents could select from and pay annually.

“For an individual it is N15,000 per year, for family of four, it is 55,000 per year, for a family of six, it is 80,000 per year. As I said, when you look at the amount you are paying and the scope of the benefit that you will get, it is unquantifiable.

“This is because Mr governor is so passionate about this issue and he has subsidised the plan to the major and to the fullest.

“So please, we are calling on all residents, as it is now mandatory, don’t let us come and be trying to enforce. Your wife is pregnant, she can deliver under the scheme, even if it’s a caesarean section, it is free of charge as long as you buy our family plan,” she said.