The Lagos State Government has extended its rural healthcare intervention to Erikiti Oglo in Badagry with the deployment of an EKO Social Health Alliance (EKOSHA) mobile clinic to provide medical services to residents in the hard-to-reach community and its environs.
The Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) commissioned the mobile clinic at Erikiti Oglo as part of efforts to improve access to quality and affordable healthcare for residents of underserved communities across the state.
Speaking at the commissioning, the Permanent Secretary, LASHMA, Dr Emmanuella Zamba, said the rural health scheme was designed to address healthcare challenges in communities where primary healthcare centres were unavailable or undergoing reconstruction or renovation.
She said the intervention demonstrated the commitment of the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to taking healthcare services closer to residents, particularly vulnerable people in hard-to-reach communities.
According to Zamba, “The rural health scheme was designed to bridge the gap in healthcare access faced by vulnerable residents in hard-to-reach communities, particularly where Primary Healthcare Centres are not available or where the existing PHC is undergoing reconstruction or renovation.”
She said the EKOSHA mobile clinic would be available in the community every Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering a range of basic healthcare services.
The services, she said, would include general consultations through telemedicine, treatment of common illnesses, management of chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and asthma, treatment of childhood illnesses, basic laboratory investigations, health education, counselling and dispensing of medicines.
Residents would also be able to access vital checks, including blood sugar, blood pressure, weight and pulse assessments, at the mobile clinic.
Zamba, however, clarified that the mobile clinic was a temporary intervention and would be withdrawn once the community had a functional primary healthcare facility.
She recalled that during the flag-off of the first phase of the Rural Health Scheme at Agboyi-Ori Omi on November 11, 2025, LASHMA had committed to deploying mobile clinics to five hard-to-reach locations across the state.
“Today, two communities out of the five locations have been provided with mobile clinics, and soon, the three others would be provided,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary commended the Baale of Erikiti Oglo, Chief Baale Abila Sedowhe Azonagbo, for his support in facilitating the intervention and bringing healthcare closer to residents at the grassroots.
She urged residents of Erikiti Oglo and neighbouring communities to take ownership of the programme by enrolling in the scheme, using the mobile clinic and providing constructive feedback to LASHMA.
Zamba also assured residents that patients requiring services beyond the capacity of the mobile clinic would be referred to Ajara Primary Healthcare Centre or Badagry General Hospital.
She said LASHMA had made arrangements with transport operators in the community to convey referred patients to the designated facilities, adding that the agency would bear the cost of transportation.
The Permanent Secretary further disclosed that the frequency of visits by the mobile clinic would be increased when the number of beneficiaries enrolled in the scheme in the communities reached 5,000.
Responding on behalf of the Baales in the communities, the Baale of Erikiti Oglo, Chief Baale Abila Sedowhe, thanked the Lagos State Government and LASHMA for bringing the mobile clinic closer to residents.
He said the intervention would ease the burden faced by pregnant women, nursing mothers, children and elderly residents who previously had to travel long distances to access healthcare services.
“Pregnant women, nursing mothers and their children, including the elderly, usually travelled long distances to access healthcare services, but now, with the mobile clinic, they would be relieved of travelling long distances to seek medical attention,” he said.
Sedowhe urged other community leaders to encourage residents to enrol in EKOSHA and make use of the mobile clinic rather than resorting to self-medication.
The commissioning also featured free health screening for community members, including blood sugar, blood pressure, weight and height checks. Residents also consulted medical doctors through the ILERA EKO telemedicine service.
Other dignitaries at the event included the Permanent Secretary, Health District V, Dr Oladapo Ashiyanbi; Baale Agbovipe, Chief Baale Peter Tonda; Baale Tohon, Chief Baale Sotin Adeoye; and the Baale-elect of Zinvie, Chief Abiye Hunsitode, who was represented by Chief Abba.
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