Lagos State government has said about 230,000 indigent and vulnerable residents of the state, including; members of elderly and orphanage homes, persons living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, sickle cell anaemia, and victims of domestic and sexual violence spread across the 57 local government and local council development areas are currently benefitting from free health insurance coverage sponsored by it through the Eko Social Health Alliance (EkoSHA).
At the media launch of the Eko Social Health Alliance (EkoSHA) in Lagos, the state’s commissioner for health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said EkoSHA, an initiative of the state government coordinated through the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), is an alliance of private institutions, public institutions, development and multilateral partners and individuals seeking the good of all residents of Lagos.
He said: “The initiative is designed to mobilize adequate funds to help the identified vulnerable residents of Lagos state access the health insurance through the Ilera Eko Social Health Plan under the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS). EkoSHA will also provide access to social welfare empowerment programmes so that beneficiaries do not only have health insurance but are provided opportunity and support that will gradually lift them out of poverty”.
Abayomi who was represented by the director, Medical Administration, Training and Programmes in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Funmilayo Shokunbi, said the alliance, in addition to mobilizing more funds to help the identified vulnerable Lagos State residents access health insurance, will also collaborate with different departments and agencies engaged in social welfare empowerment and poverty alleviation programmes so that beneficiaries do not only have health insurance but are provided opportunity to enhance their ability to attain sustainable livelihood.
“EKOSHA will collaborate with social welfare and empowerment MDAs/organisations to provide a means of livelihood for these beneficiaries such that they do not remain dependent and can eventually afford to pay health insurance premiums for themselves”, he said.
Abayomi said the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approved one percent of the State’s Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) as equity fund to pay for residents who cannot afford to pay health insurance for themselves in order to ensure that the residents, including its vulnerable population, have access to the state health scheme.
Also , the permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Ogboye, who was represented by the director, Diseases Control, Dr. Rotimi Agbolagorite, said the objective of the EkoSHA initiative is anchored on mobilising additional funds through a strategic alliance with suitable financial institutions leveraging on a crowd-funding financing model to provide more funding options for the health care of the vulnerable residents of Lagos.
