By Igbotako Nowinta, Alltimepost.com Nigeria Bureau Chief
Benin City, Nigeria – Edo State Health Insurance Scheme (EDOHIS) has been described as the fastest growing state insurance Agency in Nigeria, with 66,651 enrollees in just 12 months of service delivery.
This view was expressed in Benin City, by the Director- General of the Agency, Dr. Rock Amegor, on Wednesday during a Media Parley organized by the agency, to sensitive members of the public on the activities of the organization.
Dr. Amegor said that the Local Government Council Areas in the state are currently being captured to be part of the state health insurance scheme.
This development, he noted, will accelerate the numbers of registered individuals for the health insurance program, which component includes, equity, student, formal, informal and privately enhanced sectors, plus primary, secondary and ancillary health services.
Amegor further stated: “Our agency is the fastest growing state-owned health insurance scheme in Nigeria because of our people/ human friendly fantastic schemes; even as we are planning to ensure that 1 million residents of the state are captured by the year 2024.
“We are going to take our public sensitization efforts to the next level by flooding the market places with our products. Our Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) department is proactive, and we are determined to step up the process vigorously so that the people of Edo State will be the positive ultimate beneficiaries at the end of the day.
“Our services include preventive, consulting, general practice, outpatient, admissions, maternal neonatal; reproductive health, minor operative procedures, laboratory, radiological, physiotherapy, pharmacies, emergencies, paediatric, obstetrics & Gynaecology, primary eye and dental care etc”.
During the questions and answers segment of the event, the Director-General, who opined that the state health insurance agency is duly backed by law, with consolidated statutory funding from both the federal and state government, maintained that subsequent administration cannot push it aside.
His words: “This health insurance scheme is for all residents of Edo State; technology will take EDOHIS to the glory land. The Ambulance segment is still being developed to cater for emergencies; training of community health assistants is ongoing to scale up the M& E department; there are accredited pharmacies across the length and breadth of the state, where enrollees can go to access prescribed drugs; local government areas being captured into the health insurance scheme and there are statutory provisions even at that level, that will not only solidify the scheme but sustain it, just as we have it at the state level.
“EDOHIS is affordable and flexible in fantastic prices. We are simply driving quality, accessibility and excellence. We are encouraging our people mostly in the informal cum private sector like artisans, mechanics, spare parts dealers, fashion designers etc, to take the advantage of reducing out of pocket expenses for their health, and visit our website, inorder for them to get the benefits of what current enrollees are accessing without stress in Edo State.”
The media parley was well attended by media practitioners and staff of the Edo State Health Insurance Scheme (EDOHIS).
