By: Imo Thomas -Umuahia.
The Abia State Executive Council has approved the roll-out of a compulsory State Health Insurance Scheme to provide access to affordable healthcare services for Abia workers.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing the press on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti on Wednesday evening.
He stated that the health insurance scheme will be officially rolled out by the state Governor, Dr.Alex Otti, on the 1st of April 2025
“This (insurance) is one of the health schemes that underscores the high premium the administration places on the health sector.
“A scheme that will grant Abia workers and indeed Abia citizenry access to affordable healthcare services upon roll-out
“The project Ekwueme, a project that involves the construction of 200 primary health centers across the 184 wards of the state is ongoing and progressing very well. Overall, the project has achieved a completion rate of about 60 percent.
“What that means is that very soon, the project will be completed and ready for commissioning, Prince Kanu stated.
Contributing, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche said that the Health insurance Scheme is a noble project and a bold move to improve healthcare delivery for those in formal employment in Abia state together with their dependents.
He said that the Governor has already approved the sum of 1 Billion Naira to support the project, adding that the sum of 500 million Naira would be paid in the first instance, and after 6 months, the balance of 500 million Naira would be released to support the project.
“The Abia State Health Insurance Scheme is meant to address the healthcare needs of workers in Abia state.
“Now, to move it further and ensure that workers, in formal employment in the state, enjoy affordable access to quality healthcare, the health-loving Governor of Abia state has directed that there shall be a sensitization program for about 3 months around all the ministries to ensure that civil servants get to understand how beneficial this project will be.
“As you all know, the basic healthcare provider fund, which provides for the vulnerable groups is already on. As we speak over 54,000 enrollees in that basic health insurance fund are already benefiting from the scheme,” Prof. Uche stated.
He said that by law, every civil servant is supposed to contribute 5 percent of his basic salary to the insurance scheme, whereas the state will contribute 10 percent but the governor has approved that the state will pay 12.5 percent to start with for the first 6 months whereas the civil servant will contribute 2.5 percent.
