By Joy Oyerinde
A lawmaker, Mr Gbolahan Yishawu, has organised a two-year free health insurance programme for 5,000 residents of his constituency to create greater awareness about the benefits of health insurance.
Yishawu represents Eti-Osa Constituency II at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Speaking at the programme on Friday, the lawmaker said that the initiative was organised in partnership with ‘’Ilera Eko’’, under the Ilera Eko Standard Jaara Health Insurance Scheme.
According to him, it is aimed at complementing the efforts of the Lagos State Government by encouraging more residents to enrol in health insurance programmes.
He said the initiative became necessary because many residents were yet to enroll in the scheme due to inadequate awareness and the cost of paying premiums.
He said health insurance was designed to make healthcare accessible and affordable, but its benefits could only be fully realised when more people were enrolled.
“The essence of a health insurance programme is to create accessibility and affordability within the healthcare sector, so that every Nigerian can have access to healthcare.
“What we are doing here is to assist government in creating awareness among Lagosians and the people of Eti-Osa Constituency about health insurance and its value.
‘’One of the ways we have chosen to do that is to give them two years of free healthcare insurance. It covers individuals and families, including children,” Yishawu said.
The lawmaker said also that the initiative was motivated by the numerous health-related requests received from constituents who could not afford consultation fees, hospital bills and other medical expenses.
He explained that enrolling residents in the insurance scheme would encourage them to seek medical attention when necessary and promote the early detection and treatment of illnesses.
“Some people do not even want to go to our health centres because they cannot pay for consultations.
‘’However, with this insurance, they will go there. In the process, things can be caught early, and it improves the wellbeing of our constituents”.
Yishawu said the programme would initially cover 5,000 residents, adding that registration would continue until the target was reached.
He noted that the scheme covered a wide range of medical services, including general consultations, treatment of common illnesses and specialist care.
Others, he said, include maternal and child healthcare, laboratory and diagnostic services, hospital admission and emergency care.
‘’Also other services covered include paediatrics, gynaecology, orthopaedic care, cardiology, ear, nose and throat services, chronic disease management and eye care, ‘’ the lawmaker said.
Yishawu said the programme was also designed to encourage beneficiaries to continue with health insurance after the two-year free coverage expired, having experienced its benefits.
He added that the registration exercise was conducted over four days to make it convenient for residents to enrol without spending too much time away from work.
According to him, several channels, including social media, flyers, SMS and community networks, were deployed to create awareness about the programme and encourage residents to participate.
A beneficiary, Mrs Folashade Gbadeyanka, commended Yishawu for the initiative, saying it would reduce the financial burden of healthcare on families.
Gbadeyanka said her family had previously benefited from one of Yishawu’s healthcare initiatives, including an eye surgery programme from which her mother benefited.
‘’The two-year insurance coverage will give my family and I greater peace of mind, as we will be able to access healthcare without worrying about the cost of treatment‘’.
She described Yishawu as a lawmaker who had consistently introduced programmes aimed at improving the welfare of residents of the constituency.
