Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos state governor, has launched the Ilera Eko Standard Jaara Health Insurance scheme, offering annual plans ranging from N15,000 to N80,000.
The Lagos State government announced on its website after the launch ceremony on Tuesday.
The event also saw the commissioning of five Ilera Eko Virtual Booths to serve the informal sector, including market traders, artisans, and grassroots stakeholders.
The Ilera Eko Standard Jaara Health Insurance scheme is a comprehensive package incorporating Telemedicine, annual medical screenings, and specialized treatments in Cardiology, Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT), and Orthopedics, among others.
According to the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), this initiative highlights the ongoing efforts to improve healthcare accessibility.
“We are committed to continuing to introduce policies and reforms that ensure our residents have access to quality healthcare services.
“I urge everyone, especially those in the informal sector, to enroll in the ILERA EKO scheme to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu detailed the structure for the Ilera Eko Standard Jaara Health Insurance Plan: N15,000 per individual annually, N55,000 for a family of four, and N80,000 for a family of six, with additional dependents below 23 years old paying N10,000 each per year.
“To enjoy the Standard Jaara Health Insurance Plan, an individual will pay a premium of N15,000 per annum. Payment of premium on our family plan has been stratified in line with the feedback received from our Enrollees.
While a family of four consisting of the father, mother, and two children below 23 years, will pay N55,000 per annum, a family of six, consisting of the father, mother, and four children also below 23 years, will pay N80,000 per annum.
The Governor highlighted the role of the informal sector, which comprises 70% of Lagos State’s population, urging them to take advantage of the new health initiatives.
He emphasized that his administration’s efforts, as outlined in the T.H.E.M.E.S+ Development Agenda, include enrolling all public servants in the ILERA EKO scheme with the government covering 75% of their premiums.
From August 2024, all Lagos State pensioners will receive free one-year ILERA EKO coverage.
“The focus of our administration, as outlined in the T.H.E.M.E.S + Development Agenda, includes improving health outcomes.”
“To this end, we have enrolled all public servants in the ILERA EKO scheme, with the government covering 75% of their premiums.”
“Starting in August 2024, all Lagos State pensioners will receive free one-year ILERA EKO coverage which will ensure their access to healthcare in retirement. We are doing all these to enhance our UHC goal.”
Sanwo-Olu also introduced five new ILERA EKO Virtual Booths in Yaba, Ketu Bus Stop, Adamo Market, Sabo Market, and Ayetoro Market in Epe.
According to the governor, these booths aim to bring healthcare services closer to the people, particularly market men and women, by providing first-line health services without the need for lengthy hospital visits.
“We have heavily subsidized the health insurance premium to ensure everyone can access healthcare. The Virtual Booths are designed to expand the reach of LASHMA’s health insurance scheme across the state,” Sanwo-Olu noted.
He also encouraged the formal sector to ensure their employees are registered under the scheme to reduce corporate medical expenses.
In his remarks, Mr. Adebayo Adedewe, the chairman of LASHMA’s Governing Council, announced that 300 Virtual Booths are planned to cater to grassroots needs.
Governor Sanwo-Olu announced that he signed an Executive Order to reinforce the new health initiatives, urging residents to embrace the Lagos State Health Scheme.
He warned that while the administration prefers enlightenment over enforcement, violators of the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) Law and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act would face consequences.
Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu also approved the reintroduction of monthly environmental sanitation in the state.
The state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who disclosed this, noted that the State Executive Council has also given its approval for the introduction of the monthly exercise.
He, however, said the sanitation which would commence in July, would be officially announced by the governor soon.
“Lagos governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the state executive council have approved the re-introduction of the monthly sanitation.
“The governor will announce it officially for the exercise to commence this month,” Wahab, who spoke in Yoruba language, said in a 21-second clip shared on the Lagos State Environmental Update page on X.
The government stopped the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the state in 2016.
The government said the exercise, which used to be held for three hours on the last Saturday of every month with restrictions on movement, needed to go to pave the way for a much-needed reform.
Mr. Steve Ayorinde, then Commissioner for Information and Strategy, in a statement, said the decision to cancel the monthly exercise followed a resolution adopted at the State Executive Council meeting.
“Lagos has grown exponentially with the attendant environmental problems associated with managing 20 million people. The environmental laws and procedures being practiced in the state have not been able to match the growth and the dream of a 24-hour economy,” Ayorinde had then said.
However, the reintroduction of the monthly environmental sanitation may not be unconnected to the recent flooding affecting some major parts of Lagos due to incessant rain.
Business and commercial activities were grounded on July 3, 2024, following a 10-hour downpour in many parts of Lagos and Ogun states.
The resulting flooding brought down a two-story building in the Mushin area of Lagos, grounded vehicular movement on the roads and overwhelmed thousands of residents while pupils could not attend schools in parts of the states.
Though the Lagos State Government said the rain lasted for nine hours, in some parts of the state, it started at midnight and did not subside until noon, making it 12 hours.
Such places include Berger, Ikeja, Ogba and in some parts, the rain lasted for 10 hours.
