ABSG ROLLS -OUT STATE HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME
The Abia State Executive Council has approved the formal roll-out of the State Health Insurance Scheme to provide access to affordable healthcare services for Abia workers.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu disclosed this while briefing the press on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by governor Alex Otti.
He explained the essence of the insurance scheme as well as informed that the ‘Project Ekwueme’ is progressing very well.
“This (insurance) is one of the health schemes that underscores the high premium the administration places on the health sector.
“A scheme that will grant Abia workers and indeed Abia citizenry access to affordable healthcare services upon roll-out
“The project Ekwueme, a project that involves the construction of 200 primary health centers across the 184 wards of the state is ongoing and progressing very well. Overall ,the project has achieved a completion rate of about 60 percent.
“What that means is that very soon, the project will be completed and ready for commissioning, Prince Kanu stated.
Prince Kanu said that the Ministry of Power and Public Utilities is making progress as regards water projects across the state and disclosed that some water projects they embarked upon are at various levels of completion.
“I want to inform you that the water project they embarked upon at Aro Ajatakiri is 100 percent completed. The other water projects they embarked upon in Aro Achara in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government and at Umuetigha Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area have reached advanced stages of completion,”
He added that the Ministry has made progress with the Water Supply and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) Programme that involves the construction of modern toilet facilities in order to discourage open defecation He said that construction work is ongoing at Okigwe Park in Umuahia, Umuwaya in Umuahia North , Tower in Umuahia and at Umuoba road by Total filling station in Aba amongst other places.
Prince Kanu said that the recruitment portal for the teachers recruitment exercise was reopened on the 8th March and will be shut down on the 12th, saying that the reason for reopening the portal was to give fresh opportunities to some of the applicants who had issues with the upload of their bio-data, phone numbers,LGA’s and other necessary information.
He used the opportunity to announce that Governor Alex Otti has approved the appointment of Dr Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Mereibeole as a Special Adviser on Projects. He informed that Dr. Mereibeole retired recently from the Federal Ministry of Aviation as a Permanent Secretary and had served as Chief Policy Adviser to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, adding that, Dr Mereibeole amongst other duties would oversee the Abia Airport project.
Contributing, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche said the Health insurance Scheme is a noble project and a bold move to improve healthcare delivery for those in formal employment in Abia state together with their dependents.
He said the governor has already approved the sum of 1 Billon Naira to support the project, adding that the sum of 500 million Naira would be paid in the first instance and after 6 months ,the balance of 500 million Naira would be released to support the project.
“The Abia State Health Insurance Scheme is meant to address the healthcare needs of workers in Abia state .
“Now, to move it further and ensure that workers, in formal employment in the state enjoy affordable access to quality healthcare, the health loving governor of Abia state has directed that there shall be a sensitization programme for about 3 months round all the ministries to ensure that civil servants get to understand how beneficial this project will be.
“As you all know, the basic healthcare provider fund, which provides for the vulnerable groups is already on . As we speak over 54,000 enrollees in that basic health insurance fund are already benefiting from the scheme,” Prof. Uche stated.
He said that by law, every civil servant is supposed to contribute 5 percent of his basic salary to the insurance scheme, whereas the state will contribute 10 percent but the governor has approved that the state will pay 12.5 percent to start with for the first 6 months whereas the civil servant will contribute 2.5 percent.
The commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education Elder Goodluck Ubochi and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma were present at the press briefing.
OGECHI CHRISTOPHER/DIVINE NWANKWO
Government House, Umuahia.
12 – 03 – 2025.