The Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency in partnership with the office of the wife of the Governor has concluded the first tranche of free enrollment of pregnant women into the state health insurance scheme.
The enrollment, carried out across the 13 local government areas of the state, was sponsored by the Governor’s wife.
This was done under her pet project, Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Person’s Foundation.
Speaking to newsmen on Thursday in Ohaukwu Local Government Area, the terminal point of the exercise, the wife of the Governor, Uzoamaka Nwifuru, said the free enrollment was part of the contribution of her foundation to drastically reduce maternal and child mortality, which was rated high in the state.
Nwifuru, represented by wife of the Chief of Staff and Coordinator of BERWO, Nkechi Echiegu, explained that about 3,754 pregnant women had been enrolled in 12 local government areas across the state, with over 100 deliveries fully sponsored by the scheme from antenatal care to birth and cesarean sections.
She projected that the number of enrollees would scale above 4,000 after concluding Ohaukwu LGA.
Briefing the press shortly after the field exercise, the Executive Secretary, Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Divine Igwe, commended Governor Francis Nwifuru and his wife for their concern for the safety and good health of the citizens.
He explained that the Agency has been able to increase enrollment into the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund to 51,871 while all state civil servants numbering over 8,000 have been enrolled into the state health insurance scheme.
He further explained that the enrollment of civil servants was facilitated by Governor Nwifuru, who had made good his promise to pay the full premium for all the state civil servants.
Igwe emphasised: “In obligation, the state government is supposed to pay a counterpart of 3.5 percent premium while civil servants pay 1.5 percent.
“But the Governor, out of empathy for workers had undertaken to bear the full 5 percent cost of premium for all the civil servants in order to encourage them enroll in the scheme for their health and wellbeing.”
Igwe, who noted that the Agency was currently gearing up to begin enrollment of civil servants’ dependents, further called on good spirited individuals, corporate bodies and philanthropists to take advantage of the Agency’s various packages to sponsor enrollment of more less privileged persons into the scheme to complement the efforts of the governor and the wife.
He explained: “We have a package collectively abbreviated as GIFSHIP: Group, Individual, Family and Social health programme.
“Under this, the yearly premium for individuals is only N12,000 while that of family is N54,000.
“We also have the TISHIP, which is tertiary Institutions Social Health Programme.
“We are all aware that students in tertiary institutions pay medical charges as part of their school fees which they do not utilise.
“So, we are currently in talks with the Vice Chancellor of Ebonyi State University to see how we can convert those charges into premiums to enable students of the institution and others of their kind join the scheme and access free healthcare services.”
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Sharing their testimonies to newsmen during the event, some beneficiary pregnant women and mothers, including Promise Chukwuka, Oliga Chukwuemeka and Onyiyechi Echem from Ishielu, Ezza South and Afikpo Local Government Areas respectively, affirmed that the Agency has brought a lot of relief to them.
They confirmed that they were given adequate, cost free healthcare services from their antenatal to delivery, with free referral services, including cesarean sections where applicable.
They appreciated the agency and the Ebonyi State Government for the gesture and called on others to join the scheme to enjoy the beautiful packages it provide.