ABIA HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME: GOV. OTTI APPROVES ONE BILLION NAIRA COUNTERPART FUND

REPORTER: PEACE AGBO

As part of measures to provide access to affordable healthcare services for Abia workers, Governor Alex Otti has approved one billion naira counterpart fund for the State Health Insurance Scheme.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who announced this while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by the Governor, said the sum of five million naira would be paid in the first instance to support the programme.

Prince said the essence of the insurance scheme was for Abia State workers to maximize both private and government owned hospitals, including the ongoing two hundred health facilities nearing completion across the 184 wards of the state tagged ‘Project Ekwueme.

Prince Kanu further announced that the efforts of the Ministry of Power and Public Utilities in water project was yielding positive results across the state as the water projects were at various stages of completion.

He added that to discourage open defecation, the ministry through its Water Supply and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) Programme embarked on construction of modern toilet facilities at Okigwe Park Umuahia on Umuwaya road in Umuahia North and Umuoba road, amongst other places.

According to the Commissioner, Governor Otti announced the approval of the appointment of Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Mereibeole, who recently retired as a Permanent Secretary from the Federal Ministry of Aviation, as a Special Adviser on Projects.

Dr. Mereibeole, who served as Chief Policy Adviser to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, would amongst other duties oversee the Abia Airport project.

Contributing, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Uche, described the Health Insurance Scheme as a noble project aimed at improving the healthcare needs of those in formal employment in the state alongside their dependents.

Professor Uche noted that by law, every civil servant was expected to contribute 5% of their basic salary to the insurance scheme, whereas the state would contribute 10%.

He, however, said the Governor approved that the state would pay12.5% for the first 6 months of the scheme whereas the civil servant will only contribute 2.5% of the fund.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU