By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Residents of Lagos will soon begin to enjoy quality healthcare services at their doorsteps with the collaboration between the Sterling Bank and the Lagos State government.
The financial institution is funding the building of some Ilera Eko Virtual Booths across the state to ensure busy residents of the metropolis access health services with ease.
The Lagos State government came up with Ilera Eko as part of its efforts to ensure citizens of the aquatic city have access to cheaper healthcare and deepen health insurance.
But despite this initiative, some residents, because of their busy schedules, have not been able to enjoy the service, prompting the bank to partner with the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) to place virtual booths at strategic locations in the state to bring healthcare closer to the people.
Speaking at the inaugural Lagos State Insurance Summit held in Lagos recently, the Divisional Head of Business Growth at Sterling Bank, Mr Obinna Ukachukwu, said the bank and the agency plan to leverage technology to bring health these insurance booths to where most of the informal sector work, thus expanding the reach of healthcare services to residents of the state.
Mr Ukachukwu noted that most residents earn daily pay from their trade locations, making it difficult for them to leave and go to the clinic when sick, hence the need for these first-line health services in various informal business clusters around the state.
In his remarks, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Ogboye, urged stakeholders to align with the National Health Insurance Authority Act and ensure compliance with the Lagos State Health Scheme law.
“These services include a full range of essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care,” he said, noting that the 300 booths already created will be strategically placed in locations across Lagos State.
He added that doctors would be provided using telemedicine for consultations and diagnosis, with prescriptions to be taken to the nearest community pharmacy where the medication would be dispensed.
The Chairman of the LASHMA Governing Board, Dr Adebayo Adedewe, remarked that establishing the Lagos State Health Scheme is a step in the right direction and an ideal model to ensure Lagosians have access to quality and affordable healthcare services.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Aduragbemi Omiyale