ABIA HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME EXCEEDS TARGET, AS ABSG APPROVES HEALTH SAFETY POLICY

By Ogbonnaya Ikokwu On Aug 26, 2025

The Abia Social Health Insurance Scheme enrolment has exceeded its set target of 100,000 participants for 2025 by recording more than 103,000 participants as at 17th of August, 2025.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu revealed this on Monday in Government House Umuahia, while briefing the press on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.

“The current enrolment figure is 103,076 participants. This is more than an eloquent endorsement of the scheme by the sector participants, and a display of an abiding trust by the participants that the scheme has the potential to address their most pressing health care needs,” Prince Kanu stated.

He said that, following the success of the insurance scheme, the informal sector enrolment will commence this week, adding that the details about the commencement would be made available.

The Commissioner disclosed that recently, the State Ministry of Health created two new departments, namely the Abia Drug and Medical Commodities Management Agency, and the Department of Nutrition, in line with the N-774 Nutrition Initiative of the federal government.

He informed that, so far, 121 Primary Health Centres have been completed under the Project Ekwueme programme. According to the Commissioner,

“17 of the completed PHCs have been functionalised and are already providing services in the communities in which they are located.

“33 of the completed PHCs are being equipped currently and ready for functionalisation. When completed, this will bring the total number of functionalised PHCs to 50.

“The next batch to be functionalised thereafter, will be another 50. And this will form part of the third phase of the completed PHCs to be fully equipped for use by members of the public,” Prince Kanu stated.

He noted that, the apparent delay in completing the projects within the 100 days as conceptualised at the onset, is as a result of challenges that bother majorly on the increased scope of work that the project entails as well as vagaries of weather and, in one or two instances, contractors’ lapses.

Prince Kanu noted that the expected date of completion of the project is October 31, 2025, adding that, at the completion of the projects, government would flag off another phase of the project.

“Of course, we are aware that the state has 948 PHCs. And strategically, the state government is taking them in batches to bring them back to work.

“So once this phase is concluded sometime in October, another phase will commence. It is worthy to note that members of the public are showing increased interest in the usage of our health facilities across the state.

“This display of confidence in the use of the health facilities is eloquently captured in the increase of bed occupancy rates at ABSUTH which rose from 50% in August 2024 to 100% in March 2025, and remained so all this month.

“The upward swing in the bed occupancy rate speaks to the high level of investment that the state government has made in terms of equipment and medical personnel in the health sector. This is the story of other state-owned health facilities,” Prince Kanu stated.

The Commissioner further informed that, the State Executive Council has approved Abia State Health, Safety and Environment Policy.

He maintained that,” this state occupational health, safety and environment policy is a major milestone in the state government’s determination to cater for the health, safety and well-being of the state’s civil servants.

“The policy will be further espoused with the approval of the Implementation Proposal by His Excellency the Governor of Abia State, Dr. ALex Otti OFR,” Prince Kanu stated.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma and Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ctz. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha were present at the briefing.

E-signed
DIVINE NWANKWO
HOD (INFORMATION)
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, UMUAHIA.
25 – 08 – 2025.