As part of efforts to increase the number of enrollees that would key into health insurance in Lagos State, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr. Emmanuella Zamba has urged more Lagosians to register for the life-saving scheme, saying that over 1.3 million residents have been enrolled in the ILERA EKO scheme.

Zamba made this known during a media parley in commemoration of the Year 2024 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day.

During the event, which was held in Lagos on Thursday, Dr Samba disclosed that the Agency was moving towards achieving the UHC in Lagos.

The 2024 UHC Day has the theme 2024 “Health: It’s on the Government.”

She noted that since the enactment of the Lagos State Health Scheme Law in 2015, the state has significantly advanced towards its UHC goals.

“As I said, in the year 2024, we had 1,152,455 enrollees from the state. We have also expanded our healthcare providers, both private and public, all across the 21 states. We have different types of healthcare providers:

“We have community pharmacies, private hospitals, primary health care centres (PHCs), general hospitals, diagnostic centres, acne, and dental care. Since 2021 to 2024, we have had 722,000 visits in the state.”

On admissions, she said the Agency has seen almost 20,000 admissions. “We have a lot of good things on the scheme: diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure. We also have testimonials.”

Zamba described UHC as basically a commitment that is made globally to make sure that every individual, irrespective of their socioeconomic status, has access to, not just healthcare, but quality UHC health services without suffering any financial hardship.