Ogun Launches Formal Sector Health Insurance Scheme

James Sowole in Abeokuta

Ogun State Government, yesterday, launched a health insurance scheme designed for the formal sector, comprising public servants and workers in the organised private sector, as part of activities lined up for the 2024 Public Service Week.

Governor Dapo Abiodun had launched the scheme for the informal sector in February 2022, allowing artisans, market women, traders, and other residents making a living through non-organised environments to benefit.

Abiodun, during the official launch of the scheme at Obas Complex, Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, disclosed that his government would pay 50 per cent of the premium for every worker registered in the scheme.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Mrs. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, said it was in the interest of the present administration to ensure the well-being and welfare of public servants, who were the engine room of the government.

He stated that the theme of the 2024 Civil Service Week, “Building a Socially Responsive Public Service in the 21st Century: A Place of Ethics and Values,” resonated deeply with the current administration’s aspirations and ideals for the public service.

Abiodun stated, “I hereby reassure all public servants that their well-being will remain a priority in the government’s development agenda, as demonstrated in our payment of a N100 million counterpart fund, which has granted the state access to the federal government’s Basic Health Care Provision Fund since February 2020.

“And the launch of the Informal Sector of OGSHIS in 2020; and the provision of a N100 million take-off grant for the Ogun State Health Insurance Agency in November 2020.

“Also, as part of palliative support in the health sector earlier in the year, we released N310 million as an equity fund to provide health insurance access to low-income residents of the state, part of which facilitated free surgeries for over a thousand residents.

“Additionally, we have released the sum of N324 million to support 3,300 pregnant women in the state for free under the scheme tagged Ibidero. This includes covering their antenatal and postnatal care, as well as providing a N5,000 token after delivery.”

Abiodun emphasised that the success of the scheme was a collective effort requiring close collaboration with health officials and stakeholders to ensure the system was effectively implemented, well-monitored, and continuously improved.

In her remarks, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, stated that since close to 80 per cent of Nigerians paid out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare, the majority of citizens were prone to the dire consequences of catastrophic health expenditures.

Coker encouraged residents of the state to take advantage of both the informal and formal sector schemes, emphasising that these programmes serve as financial risk protection against undue health expenses that can plunge individuals into extreme poverty.

She stated, “I am delighted that His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, whose prioritisation of health has demonstrably led to improvements in our health systems, is launching this scheme today. This is no longer just a plan. So, rest assured, this scheme is here and here to stay.”

Head of Service, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya, in his welcome address, said good health was integral to the smooth and successful socio-economic endeavours of the people, underscoring the reality of the common maxim, “Health is wealth.”

Onasanya added that the current administration’s understanding that healthcare was central to improved productivity of the workforce was evidenced by the governor’s decision to launch the formal sector health insurance scheme. He stated that the scheme would directly impact the well-being of not just workers, but also their relatives.

Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ogun State Chapter, Comrade Ademola Benco, while delivering his goodwill message, described Abiodun as worker-friendly and conscious of the welfare of workers. Benco commended the governor for paying 50 per cent of the premium for every worker registered in the scheme.

He pleaded with the government to ensure that the programme was consistent and sustainable, and promised NLC’s support.