By Nelson Utip
Siminalayi Fubara, The Executive Governor of Rivers State has inaugurated The Contributory Health Insurance Scheme in the state saying that it will offer households a measure of financial protection against healthcare costs and help resolve inequality in the provision of available services, charging managers of the scheme to carry everyone along in their administration of the scheme to enable the most vulnerable in the society to benefit.
The governor stated this when he formally launched the public sector Contributory Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS), which is the State’s health insurance programme, shortly after inaugurating the Comprehensive Primary Health Centre in Ndoni Town in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.
The Governor was the first to be enrolled on the scheme and followed by his Deputy, Prof Ngozi Odu he said the scheme must foster an inclusive and equitable healthcare access for the people of the State.
“With what I am seeing here, we didn’t make any mistake in ensuring that the Health Insurance Programme commenced in our State. It is to increase access to healthcare for the people. “With this, most families that cannot afford expensive healthcare services outside their means, can leverage on this service that has been rolled out.
“But it is proper for me to also add that while we are doing this, we shouldn’t undermine the scheme. The services should be properly utilised and the funds released should be applied prudently to achieve the purpose.”
He said. The Acting Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Vetty Agala in her part said the scheme will enhance a universal access to healthcare services in the State, she explained that with the official flag-off her team will commence enrollment of persons into the scheme in all 317 political wards in the 23 local government areas of the State.
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“Today, we are here to flag-off the enrollment of the scheme. Your Excellency, we want to thank you for graciously permitting and approving that Rivers State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme be implemented.
“Rivers people can now, indeed, access healthcare without having to pay at the point of service. At all of our programmes, women, people living with disability, the aged and children under five years can walk into this centre or where they are registered, show their cards and be attended to free of charge.” Agala said.
The climax of the occasion was the registration of the Governor and his Deputy, fingerprinting and capturing of both, and presentation of Insurance Identity Cards to the Number One and Number Two Citizens of the State. Rivers State was the only State in the country without public sector-driven health insurance scheme before the launching and the National Health Insurance Scheme has broadened its capacity and offerings to beneficiaries.
It would be recalled that On May 19, 2022, the NHIA ACT was enacted by the National Assembly, and was officially gazetted by the Federal Government of Nigeria as the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) on May 24, 2022.
The Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme, an offshoot of NHIS Bill was signed into law on June 21, 2021, to enable residents and people of the State who want health insurance to participate in the scheme. The process, began in June 2016, and now millions of Rivers people will access healthcare services without financial hardship.
