Obiano Forwards Bill on Health Insurance to State Assembly

Charles Onyekamuo

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano has forwarded a bill on Health Insurance to the state House of Assembly for consideration.

The state commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike, who disclosed this at a sensitisation workshop organised by the state office of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for primary health providers, government hospitals, traders, market women, community leaders and community based health associations in Awka, the state capital, said the draft bill followed the set operational guidelines.

The draft bill he said has some basic health care benefits for residents of the state and would become operational as soon as it is passed into law.

According to a Director in the state’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Obiageli Uchegbu, he said, “The bill when passed into law will give every resident of this state the privilege to access the health insurance scheme and improve the health system tremendously.

“We expect every health provider and hospitals in the state to do their best to ensure the success of the programme when operational”, he said, adding that the state government will embark on rigorous monitoring of the hospitals.

The Deputy General Manager and Co-coordinator, NHIS, Anambra State, Mrs. Nma Getrude Ossi said the workshop was conceptualised as a community health programme where people living in villages would be taught the need to form mutual health associations to enable them pool resources together and enjoy the benefits accruing from the NHIS.

The NHIS, she said had come a long way and is all about having access to quality health care with a view to reducing infant mortality and maternal child morbidity.

Since the NHIS office opened in Ananmbra in 2014, she said it has carried its sensitization and awareness programme to about 90 per cent of the state communities, adding that it has now shifted to the informal sector.