NAN-HG-8
Scheme
Sagamu (Ogun), Feb. 21, 2017 (NAN) No fewer than 7,000 persons have been enrolled in the Ogun Community-based Health Insurance Scheme, Araya.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, said this on Tuesday at a forum in Sagamu.
Ipaiye said that artisans, civil servants and the middle aged would soon be enrolled in the scheme for easy access to quality healthcare services.
He said that the state government was targeting about 1.7 million people under the scheme in the state.
“Our plan is to take Araya to every door step of the good people of the state cutting across rural and urban dwellers that are believed to be the less privileged in the society.
“Over 7,000 people are already benefiting from the scheme while the Ministry of Health is working on introducing other categories of people who will pay premium to access healthcare services for a year,” Ipaye said.
Prof . Umar Yusuf, the Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), rated the scheme as the best among state health insurance schemes in the country.
Yusuf, represented by the NHIS Zonal Coordinator, Southwest, Mr Adelaja Abereoran, said the scheme was in line with the vision of ensuring Nigerians had access to good health care services.
He urged other states to emulate Ogun in the execution of similar schemes.
“We will always be ready to encourage any state to drive the acceptance and facilitate the adoption of this type of initiative to the grassroots level.
“We are also willing to support the establishment of a state health insurance agency that would be backed up with appropriate legislation.
” This is so as to guarantee access to good and qualitative healthcare services for all the citizens in both formal and informal sectors,” Yusuf said.
He commended the Ibikunle Amosun administration for being the first to officially launch a state-wide community-based health scheme.
Yusuf said the programme was launched successfully in six local government councils of the state.
He urged beneficiaries to take advantage of the scheme by accessing free healthcare services with the Araya card.(NAN)
YAF/ORO/OJO
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(Edited by Razak Owolabi/Mufutau Ojo)