Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has approved the sum of N1 billion for the State Health Insurance Scheme, following the approval for the formal rolling out of the scheme by the State Executive Council.
This is as the Governor has approved the appointment of Dr. Emmanuel Mereibeole, who retired recently from the Federal Ministry of Aviation as a Permanent Secretary, as Special Adviser on Projects to oversee the Abia Airport project.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu; and his Health Counterpart, Professor Enoch Uche, disclosed these while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting.
The insurance scheme, according to them, is to provide access to affordable healthcare services for Abia workers.
Kanu said: “This is one of the health schemes that underscores the high premium the administration places on the health sector.
“It’s a scheme that will grant Abia workers and indeed Abia citizenry access to affordable healthcare services upon roll-out.”
Contributing, the Health Commissioner said the scheme was meant to address the healthcare needs of Abia workers and their dependants.
He explained that N500 million out of the N1 billion approved by the Governor would be paid in the first tranche while the balance would be released after six months.
Professor Uche said the Governor had directed that workers in the state be sensitized about the scheme for three months to enable them to embrace and key into it.
He disclosed that 54,000 persons had enrolled in healthcare insurance for vulnerable groups.
“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”.
On funding the scheme, Prof. Uche said: “By law, every civil servant is supposed to contribute five 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 six months whereas each civil servant will contribute 2.5 percent.”
Meanwhile, the Information Commissioner said that “Project Ekwueme,”, a project that involves the construction of 200 primary health centers across the 184 wards of the state, had recorded 60 percent success.
“What that means is that very soon, the project will be completed and ready for commissioning”, he declared.
He also said that the Ministry of Power and Public Utilities was making progress on water projects across the state, noting that the various ongoing water projects are at various stages 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.”
Kanu added that the Ministry had made progress with the Water Supply and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) Programme which involves the construction of modern toilet facilities in order to discourage open defecation.
On the ongoing recruitment of teachers in the state, he explained that the portal which was reopened from 8th to 12 March, was to give fresh opportunities to some of the applicants “who had issues with the upload of their bio-data, phone numbers, LGAs, and other necessary information.”
He said the newly appointed Adviser on Projects, Dr Mereibeole, had served as Chief Policy Adviser to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
According to him, Dr Mereibeole, amongst other duties, will oversee the Abia Airport project.
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.
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