As part of efforts to ensure that Nigeria meets the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030, the Lagos State Government through the Lagos Health Management Agency (LASHMA) recently unveiled a new social health insurance plan under the mandatory Lagos Health Scheme tagged, “Ilera Eko Diaspora Health plan.”

UHC means that all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. It covers the full continuum of essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.

Achieving UHC is one of the targets the nations of the world set when they adopted the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. At the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on UHC in 2019, countries reaffirmed that health is a precondition for and an outcome and indicator of the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, said the introduction of this plan is geared towards increasing access to qualitative and efficient health service delivery as well a further push the drive towards attaining universal health coverage in Lagos State.

Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Prof. Akin Abayomi, at the lunch and unveiling of the new plan at the Ebony Life Place, Victoria Island, Lagos, said it provides a window of opportunity to Nigerians living abroad and desirous of providing and sponsoring health insurance coverage for their loved ones resident in Lagos.

Abayomi said: “The lunch of the new Ilera Eko Diaspora Health Plan is the first of its kind in Nigeria and is expected to deepen and widen access to affordable and quality care through a new gateway of opportunities for Nigerians dependent on relatives living in the diaspora for their health expenditure.”

Abayomi said the launch of the product is another milestone achievement by LASHMA, Ministry of Health and the State Government, noting that the new plan marks an era of globalisation in the operation of social health insurance space in Nigeria, which will enable residents get affordable access to sustainable health care service delivery and go a long way in the achieving the health and environment mandate of the THEMES agenda of the present administration.

“The launch of the new Diaspora Health Plan is apt and supports the Health and environment mandate of the present administration. Lagos state Government continues to support and encourage LASHMA in the delivery of the dividend of democracy, improve lives and prevent catastrophic health spending for Lagos residents,” he said.

The Commissioner noted that the lunch and deployment of the plan is another attestation to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to ensuring that Lagos residents have access to affordable and quality health care through premium sponsored across international borders. He added that the product when fully deployed into the market would go a long way in the achievement of universal health care coverage in the state.

In his words: “The product, when fully deployed into the market place will act as a catalyst in achieving the cardinal objectives of the Lagos State Government’s THEMES agenda on Health and Environment”

Abayomi disclosed that the lunch of the new plan underscores the need for innovation in enhancing the efficiency of LASHMA’s operation as a tool towards achieving Universal Health Coverage adding that the unveiling of the product is a step in the right direction.

He noted that with the recent policy direction at the federal level which birthed the National Health Insurance Act (NHIA) Act, more powers and recognition has been given to State Health Insurance Scheme with greater implication of repositioning and strengthening state administered health insurance scheme.

While urging residents to come on board the social health insurance scheme and subscribe to various plans under the scheme, Abayomi averred that the new Ilera Eko Diaspora Health Plan and other existing plans of the Lagos Health Scheme is a strategic response in ensuring that Lagos plays it part well towards achieving affordable and quality healthcare for all residents.

“The continuous drive by LASHMA to provide more innovative products plan as means of widening residents access to health insurance cover and uptake is imperative. Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Health will provide every support needed by LASHMA in order to ensure that all residents are covered under the Ilera-Eko Social Health Insurance plans,” he said.

Earlier in her remarks, General Manager, LASHMA, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, explained the new Diaspora Health plan will guarantee affordable and quality of healthcare services through third party financing and management system that enables a pooling of resources and medical expertise.

“For a pre-paid premium, subscribers to ILERA-EKO Diaspora social health insurance plan are assured of access to affordable healthcare when required amongst the list of ILERAEKO accredited hospitals.

She further explained that the plan provides access to a wide range of private and public hospitals in all local governments of the state adding that other benefits of the new plan include amongst others, peace of mind, affordable premiums, budgetable medical expenditure, equitable distribution of healthcare costs, protection from the financial hardship of huge medical bills, maintenance of high standard of healthcare delivery services and greater value for money spent.

According to her, the benefit package covers tele-consultation, tele-monitoring, counselling, advice and prescription for medication, general consultation and health education on various illnesses including HIV, hypertension, Diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Other benefit package are: access to specialist care including general surgeons, paediatrician, gynaecologist, physician, orthopaedics and outpatient care for common ailments like malaria and other acute uncomplicated febrile illnesses, diarrhoeal diseases, acute respiratory tract infections, uncomplicated pneumonia, simple anaemia, simple skin diseases and other uncomplicated bacterial, fungal, parasitic and viral infections and illnesses.

“The plan also covers follow-up treatment of chronic illnesses like hypertension, Diabetes mellitus, sickle cell and asthma as well as First Aid for dog bites, snakebites, scorpion stings, arthritis, and other minor musculoskeletal diseases,” she added.

Zamba noted that care for childhood illnesses, eye care, family planning services, child welfare services, hospital care admission, pharmaceutical care, blood transfusion, chronic disease and Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) services, tuberculosis services, haematology, clinical chemistry, diagnostic radiological investigations, ultrasound test, maternal and newborn care, dental care, emergency services including renal dialysis and surgeries are also covered under the plan.