Oyo targets 450,000 enrolment in health insurance scheme by June

OVER 100,000 residents of Oyo state have benefitted from the state’s health insurance scheme, with 450,000 persons targeted to be enrolled into the scheme by June.

Executive Secretary, Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA), Dr Olusola Akande disclosed this in Ibadan, on Monday, during a media dialogue organised by the scheme in conjunction with UNICEF and the state Ministry of Information on improving access and uptake of healthcare for women and children.

Akande said the offerings of the scheme since May 2017 has included the conduct of over 100 caesarian sessions, minor surgeries, orthopaedic surgeries, purchase of drugs and renovation of primary health care facilities.

Particularly, Akande rated the state’s insurance scheme as the best in Nigeria, with three primary healthcare centres, two private health facilities and a general hospital in each of the 33 local government areas accredited into the health scheme.

He, however, decried the reservations of some Nigerians about enrolling for health insurance scheme pointing to customs, beliefs that registration for such schemes was tantamount to wishing them ill-health or death.

He prayed that residents of the state change their health seeking habits by enrolling for health insurance schemes like that of Oyo state at N650 monthly.

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Director, Technical operation for OYSHIA, Mrs Ayodele Jolayemi, in her presentation, stressed the need for pregnant women and children under five and other vulnerable persons to enrol for health insurance scheme to improve their health indices.

Noting that only about five per cent of Nigerians were enrolled under the National Health Insurance Scheme, she said universal health coverage will be guaranteed if states operate functional health insurance schemes.

Another health consultant, Dr Adebola Hassan prayed more children have access to primary health centres to reduce the high neonatal mortality rate of about one million deaths annually in Nigeria.