Lagos’ ILERA EKO records first quadruplets

The Lagos State Government in its efforts to ensure that every resident has access to affordable and quality healthcare has recorded its first Quadruplets on its social health insurance plan popularly known as ILERA EKO.

The set of four girls who are the first birth of the family of Mr. and Mrs. Dayo Faniyi, were delivered at Ikorodu General Hospital, Ikorodu.

The General Manager, Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, speaking during a visit to the hospital commended the Medical Director, Ikorodu General Hospital, Dr. Taiwo Hassan and the entire staff for a job well done.

She added that the highest number of birth recorded on the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) was triplets and that the Agency was extremely delighted in recording another milestone birth.

Zamba said that since the full commencement of the Scheme in the Year 2020, 47 sets of triplets and 435 sets of twins had been delivered on the Scheme.

Describing the birth as miraculous, she congratulated the parents of the Quadruplets on the safe delivery of the babies and promised that the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) would do its best to ensure that the babies have access to medical care when due.

The General Manager urged residents in the State who are yet to enrol, to immediately tap into the opportunity provided by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in ensuring that every resident has access to quality and affordable healthcare.

She reminded that there is also an opportunity to pay by instalment for any resident who could not afford to pay N8,500 premium per annum for ILERA EKO individual plan or N40,000 per annum for ILERA EKO family plan comprising of the father, mother and four children below 23 years old.

The Medical Director, Ikorodu General Hospital, Dr. Taiwo Hassan, said that the facility would continue to partner with the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) in order to give quality healthcare to the residents of Ikorodu and its environs.

He pledged that the Hospital would continue to improve the standard of healthcare delivered to ILERA EKO Enrollees.

Mr. Dayo Faniyi, father of the babies and a town planner with Isolo Local Council Development Area, commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for his commitment to ensuring that ILERA EKO becomes a reality. He said, “ILERA EKO is a great relief to me, if not for the Governor, I wonder how much I would have paid in a government hospital for the delivery of my four babies.”

He added that he would have been running helter-skelter to get money to pay for the operation of his wife, Mrs. Adeola Faniyi and the babies, especially at this crucial time when money is so difficult to get in Nigeria, if not for the good gesture of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and ILERA EKO.

Describing the birth as mixed blessings, he appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to support him in taking care of the babies as the load, he said, “is too heavy for him.”

He also called on prominent individuals and groups, home and abroad, to partner with the Lagos State Government in the provision of health insurance coverage for all in the State in order for the residents to have relief in the payment of their medical bills.

Mrs. Adeola Faniyi, the mother of the Quadruplets and a Fashion Designer, said that she was highly surprised that right from her antenatal to delivery and post-delivery, no tangible payment was made except those few items that are not covered on the Scheme. She thanked the Doctors and Nurses for taking good care of her while accessing care at the hospital.  She, therefore, implored all to be part of ILERA EKO, as the health insurance scheme is real and highly rewarding.