Awka – Anambra state government has inaugurated the registration of about 28, 246 persons that will benefit from the National Basic Healthcare Provision Fund provided by the Federal Government of Nigeria and implemented through state health insurance schemes.
The official launching was held on Thursday, at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Akpo, Aguata Local Government Area and had other 11 teams covering the 11 PHC wards in Aguata simultaneously.
Speaking on the exercise, the State Commissioner for Health in Anambra state, Dr. Vincent Okpala thanked the Governor, Chief Willie Obiano for making the state a beneficiary through his commitment and provision of counterpart funds and support.
Dr. Okpala while appreciating Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA) for their good work in the state, expressed confidence that the scheme will be well run by state health insurance agency and the Anambra state Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
He encouraged Anambra citizens to utilize the services provided by the scheme instead of continuing with the practice of patronizing quacks for serious health challenges that have resulted in preventable death among the people.
Explaining the reasons behind the exercise, the Executive Secretary of Anambra state Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA), Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi informed that 85 persons have been chosen per ward from all the communities in the state to benefit from the free healthcare programme.
“This exercise is expected to reach every ward over the next 5 weeks. At the end of which, about 28,246 ndi Anambra would have been registered from across the 326 political wards of the state to benefit.
“Anambra State is able to do this because, Governor Willie Obiano fulfilled all the requirements by the Federal Government for inclusion among benefitting states,” he noted.
Furthermore, Dr. Onyemaechi who is also the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health pointed out that the exercise will give Anambra people, especially the poor and vulnerable access to basic minimum package of services that include antenatal, labour and delivery for pregnant women, treatment of ailments like Malaria, Typhoid, Pneumonia, other chest infections, diarrhea disease in children, hypertension and diabetes mellitus among others.
The program according to Dr. Onyemaechi will ensure that the health indices of the state improve rapidly, as access will be expanded to the poor members of the society to quality healthcare services.
Mrs Agnes Nwafor, a beneficiary from Akpo community expressed appreciation to Anambra State Government and the Federal Government of Nigeria for the program while praying the authorities to ensure that enrollees are well attended to while trying to access healthcare services.
