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By Henry Uche
Lagos State Health Management Agency, LASHMA, has urged Civil and Public service workers in the state to quickly buy into its comprehensive health insurance scheme tagged ‘ILERA EKO.’
General Manager, LASHMA, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba who unfolded the package at the 2023 press briefing in Lagos which was aimed at raising awareness on some critical Interventions of LASHMA, said the initiative was a way forward, hence the need for everyone in the state to give a nod.
At the gathering which involves Union leaders and key government functionaries in the state, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi described the scheme as first it its kind across the country which is a dream of governor Babajide Sanwo- Olu to make health Care and medical services affordable and accessible to all socio-economic groups in Lagos State.
Prof Abayomi commended LASHMA for the Initiative of collaborating with neighboring Ogun State health workers’ Union to actualise the scheme.
According to the health commissioner, the boundary between Lagos and Ogun is only imaginary as workers of Lagos State now find it convenient to build houses and live in Ogun State.
As such, it makes a lot of sense to share a vital information and relationship on health and welfare initiatives.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos ministry of health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye advised enrollees of the scheme to choose hospitals that are closer to their homes in in case of emergency.
Similarly, the chairman of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Trade Union side, Olusegun Rhamon Balogun, enjoined workers in the State to embrace and enjoy enormous benefits inherent in LASHMA.
The chairman of the Council affirmed that the Sanwo Olu’s administration is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that every Lagosians are brought under the Universal Health Coverage.
According to him, the efforts has been extended to all government workers in the State Public Service, hence the need for every worker to key into the vision and live healthy and productive.
“Health they say is wealth and LASHMA has come to stay, therefore, we call on all Lagosians to key into this programme. It’s our programme, it’s our scheme, together we all can make it work so that the quest for a Universal Health Coverage for all can be achieved”
Balogun maintained that due to some teething challenges in the state public service, LASHMA came intervened with some innovations designed to make health services available and accessible to workers under the Joint Negotiating Council who are in Lagos and Ogun State.
“It is precisely because of this reason that LASHMA has come up with some new innovations aimed at making health services available and accessible to our members who are in Lagos and the neighboring state of Ogun,”
He added that the Council had consistently pushed for collaboration with the State Government along with its agencies. Such collaboration he said has yielded a positive results by way of making LASHMA to improve in the quality of Service delivery to their members.
“We hope this cordial working relationship is sustained and further strengthened for the good of the Service. However, we have a huge responsibility on our shoulders as workers representatives. We need to educate our members on the general operations of the ‘Ilera Eko Scheme’ which has been design to make it more accessible and available to all Lagosians because we are also an ambassador of this scheme,” he charged.
