Story by Dantes Odogwu, ⋅
The
planned Delta State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme will become
operational in a couple of weeks to provide Universal Health Insurance coverage
for all Deltans, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has declared.
Speaking when he received a
donation of four trailer loads of medical devices and equipment from the
Chairman, Martha Charity Foundation, Ambassador Immanuel Omoefe on Monday, in
Asaba, Governor Okowa stated that his administration was in haste to implement
the Contributory Health Insurance Scheme to provide quality and affordable
healthcare coverage to Deltans, especially, in critical time of need.
“The Delta State Contributory
Health care Scheme is a healthcare financing programme designed to create a
system where individuals or group of people make specific contributions for
their healthcare cost thereby giving them access to a defined package of
quality healthcare services any time they need it; any subscriber to the Scheme
does not have to pay cash at the point of service delivery which is often not
available in times of critical need”, he said.
He added, “the concept of
contributing to healthcare cost is to create a pool, spread the financial risk
and ensure sustainability , I am happy to announce that the scheme will commence
this month and it is mandatory for all residents of the state.”.
The Governor emphasized that
his administration would pay greater attention to Primary healthcare delivery
as it reaches the grassroots, disclosing that more than 400 Primary Healthcare
Centres were in the state, and they would all be fully utilized to ensure that
people have access to health facilities no matter their location.
“We will pay a lot of attention
to primary healthcare delivery as we have 402 primary healthcare centres in the
state, and we need to bring all of them to a state of functionality,” he
asserted.
While commending the donor of
the medical equipments, Senator Okowa directed the Ministry of Health to ensure
that the equipments were distributed and put to use in the hospitals and health
centres in the state within 48 hours.
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| Container loads of some of the donated medical items. |
He called on other Deltans to
emulate Ambassador Omoefe disclosing that the state need the participation of
the private sector to impact on the lives of the people.
Earlier, Ambassador Omoefe
disclosed that his foundation in partnership with MEDSHARE International
donated the medical equipments to the Delta State government because, there
would be sincerity in their distribution and usage, reiterating that Governor
Okowa has shown clear evidence of honesty which has endeared his administration
to well meaning individuals and organizations.
In a welcome address, Dr.
Nicholas Azinge, Commissioner For Health, said that a Committee to distribute
the donated medical devices and equipments to the hospitals and health centres
in the state has been set up and would commence work immediately.
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