Published By Olanrewaju Adesanya
Hon. Desmond Elliott has empowered one thousand constituents with health insurance scheme to ensure their wellbeing.
Desmond who represents Surulere Constituency 1 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, championed the scheme tagged: Health Insurance for Community Members and families in Surulere.
He said that the scheme is in partnership with the Community Development Centre CDC in Surulere Local Government.
According to him the scheme will take care of 250 beneficiaries quarterly and by the end of the year would have done a thousand people.
In his words,“ Residents selected from the 43 CDAS in the area will enjoy free health care courtesy of my office. My message to them is that health is wealth.
“There are many of our elderly ones who need medical care and a lot of them can’t afford it, knowing the state of the country today, it is even difficult for some to find food to eat.
“So when you have some insurance coverage for them I want to say that this would be a pivotal scheme that will spring roll and blossom into what you will see in almost all local governments.
“ People can be beneficiaries of health insurance, whereby healthcare services are given and major issues are also taken care of.
“It reduces the burden and children, siblings, parents, widows, uncles, aunties can also get the benefit to have health care and I think it should be a privilege for everybody.
“So the idea is to have in this first scheme a thousand residents become beneficiaries through the office of Desmond Olushola Elliott. “
On the criterion for selection of beneficiaries, the lawmaker notes that, “We are reaching out straight to the grassroots, from the CDCs to the CDAs and the residents.
“ They brought in members as well as those in the CDC. It is not political as it cuts across residents.
“I also want to urge the state to ensure every residents in Lagos have health insurance, it is very important.” Desmond said.
Representatives of GOXI Micro Insurance Scheme and TOP-T Medical Centre were on ground to administer the scheme to the beneficiaries.
The Chairman of CDC in Surulere Hon. Wemimo Odumosu in his address to the beneficiaries lauded the promptness of the lawmaker in keying into the concept when presented to him, adding that it is about the first time such health insurance scheme would be sponsored by a lawmaker for constituents in Lagos State.
The CDC State Chairman Alhaji Usman Hamzat also corroborated Odumosu’s stance ,” it is not common we have never seen it this way in any other local government.
“Taking care of people’s health is more important than giving money. That is why we should appreciate our Honourable.”
Hon. Agboola Dabiri a former Youths, Sports and Social Development Commissioner in the state, who was one of the guest at the event urged the beneficiaries to use the scheme so well to ensure their wellness.
Also speaking the Surulere Local Government Chairman Mr. Bamidele Yusuf notes that the good ideas in Surulere signals what good political synergy can achieve.
“As the Speaker of the Federal House of Reps, Rt.Hon Gbajabiamila is doing great works in Surulere, so also is our House of Assembly member and our government at the council.
“We all need to team up and appreciate our political office holders “.