From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Director General, Edo State Health Insurance Commission Dr. Rock Amegor, yesterday, said that the commission, in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) have covered 65,000 people in Edo State into the health insurance scheme while targeting a 100,000 free beneficiaries before the end of the year.
He disclosed this at the stakeholders consultative meeting put together by the NHIA in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Dr. Amegor said the state collaborating with the NHIA has yielded numerable results as the vulnerable in the state can now boast of free healthcare service delivery in their locality without having to travel to a long distance to get it.
“You can see that the state and the federal governments are already doing wonders. As at today, we have covered about 65,000 free people in Edo State into the health insurance scheme and it is just growing.
“The governments have been very supportive and so, we hope that before the year runs out, we should be able to cover between 80,000 to 100,000 free healthcare within Edo State and its environs.
“The collaboration with NHIA has been very impressive and areas where we feel that we are wanting, NHIA has come to give technical support and also collaborative support and so, we are like brothers at arm, we are working hand in hand. If you know the last section that was held in Abuja, we were said to have been the fastest health growing insurance in the country.
“We are only about two years and we are heading to about 200,000 lives. That is inclusive of the vulnerable. If you look at other states, they are also around that same level of enrollees but they have been around for over eight years”, Amegor said.
Amegor urged Nigerians to get registered with the premium package of the health insurance scheme to achieve the universal health coverage.
Mrs. Anthonia Iyere, Igbinovia Precious were among the personnel sent to man their various duty posts in the state as assigned to them by the NHIA.
They commended the federal government for the scheme.
They also called for the improvement in the area of security and more spacious place for them to attend to their patients adding that more people are now patronizing the facilities.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Solomon Amadi, a pensioner from Auchi Polytechnic, who resides in Evbomodu, thanked the NHIA and its collaborative partners for putting smile on their faces in this critical time in the country.
On the part of Hannatu Ikharia from Informal Sector Department, Abuja, she commended those saddled with the various responsibilities for working as a team which has brought about the successes recorded in the state.
She said she has also listened to the complains from those manning the various facilities of NHIA adding that necessary steps will be taken to address their challenges.
Earlier, the state coordinator, NHIA, Mr Ehannire Theodore Osas, while commending NHIA in the state, said the testimonies gotten thus far are commendable and that it shows their commitments to duty.
He called on the people of the state to enroll into the scheme for a better service delivery adding that they are poised to serve them better.
