Religious Belief Hindering Enrollment in Health Insurance, Says Anambra Agency

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA) has attributed the non-enrollment of some citizens into the state health insurance scheme to their religious beliefs.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi, stated this yesterday during the launch of ASHIA strategic health development plan for 2025 to 2029.

Onyemaechi said currently, the scheme is doing well, and has over 223,900 enrollees under its insurance scheme, while over 80 percent of its enrollees regularly renew their subscription with them.

He said while the agency is working to ensure that every household in the state is enrolled in the scheme, it is hard to get people to subscribe because many will simply tell you that it is not their portion to fall sick, and as such they cannot pay for hospital bill as if they pray to get ill.

Launching the strategic health development plan, Onyemaechi said: “We are gathered here essentially to celebrate world universal health coverage day with the theme: ‘Health it’s on Government’.

“It is the right of citizens to live a healthy life, and it is a good thing that in Anambra State, the government recognizes so and has been working tirelessly to ensure that everyone is captured in this insurance scheme.

“There is no better time to think of what the role of government is, in the health of the people than now. Nobody should be impoverished because they seek healthcare, and no one should suffer catastrophic expenditures to seek health care.

“As a responsible government, Anambra State had taken up that gauntlet. The government has said no woman should die because she does not have money for antenatal and postnatal. It is free in the state for every pregnant woman.

“Over 60,000 women have registered with us and we have taken delivery of 15,000 women with zero mortality in Anambra State. The governor has also done his best to ensure the end of era of hospital without doctors and today all our hospitals and health centres have been covered with health personnel.”

He said as a way to ensure that more people are enrolled in the state’s health insurance scheme, the agency has come up with what is known as adoption model, where well to do individuals are encouraged to enroll as many poor people in their communities as possible.

He said as part of this idea, the wife of the governor, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, recently enrolled 1,000 indigent people into the scheme.

Unveiling the plans of the agency in the strategic health development plan, Onyemaechi said the agency plans to accelerate the attainment of Universal Health Coverage through 90 percent coverage of the populace with health insurance by 2030.