The Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) has urged students of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) to take full advantage of the ILERA EKO Social Health Insurance Plan to access quality and affordable healthcare services.
The Permanent Secretary of LASHMA, Emmanuella Zamba, said this during a sensitisation session held at the Ikorodu campus of the institution.
She emphasised the importance of health insurance for students. She was represented by the agency’s Head of Sales and Marketing, Uche Igweonyia.
Zamba noted that the initiative to enrol students on the ILERA EKO scheme was a commendable move by the university’s management to ensure that students remain healthy while pursuing academic excellence.
“Health coverage is no longer a luxury but a necessity, particularly in academic environments where students face pressure from schoolwork and experience lifestyle changes that could result in unexpected health issues,” she said.
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She outlined the benefits available to enrollees under ILERA EKO, including consultation, registration, treatment of common ailments such as malaria and typhoid, dental care, emergency services, laboratory and radiological investigations, and minor to intermediate surgical procedures.
Zamba also encouraged students to use the ILERA EKO Telemedicine service, accessible via the toll-free number 080000-356-828 or through the mobile app available on Android and iOS platforms.
She appealed to them to become advocates of the scheme by informing their families and friends.
She urged other tertiary institutions, as well as primary and secondary schools in the state yet to enrol, to register their staff and students, especially as social health insurance is now mandatory in Lagos State.
The Vice Chancellor of LASUSTECH, Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya, described good health as fundamental to academic success.
He stressed that prevention is more cost-effective than cure and advised students to seek early medical attention when unwell rather than resorting to self-medication.
He commended the state government for introducing the Social Health Insurance Scheme and assured that the institution would continue to support both the Agency and the government’s health initiatives.
Also speaking, the Dean of Student Affairs, Aderogba Ademola, affirmed that the university remains committed to the well-being of its students, citing this commitment as the reason for LASUSTECH’s decision to register its students under the ILERA EKO plan.
More so, the Student Union President, Mr David Gabriel, thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, LASHMA and the university management for their efforts in ensuring that students benefit from the ILERA EKO Tertiary Health Insurance Plan.
He encouraged fellow students to make use of the health scheme to ease the financial burden on their parents and allow funds to be redirected to other essential needs.
