Health Insurance: State to improve access to quality healthcare

Prof. Ebitimitula Etebu, Bayelsa Commissioner for Health has said the State Health Insurance Scheme (BSHIS) would expand access to quality and affordable health services for the citizens of the state.

Etebu said this on Monday while declaring open a one-day sensitisation workshop organised by the management of the insurance scheme on accreditation of health facilities.

The Commissioner said the workshop was also to prepare grounds for roll-out plan for Medical Laboratory Scientists, Pharmacists and Nurses in Yenagoa.

Etebu noted that a lot of work had been done to ensure the success of the scheme, pointing out that Bayelsa people would soon begin to enjoy the impact of the programme.

The commissioner further said BSHIS would ensure that beneficiaries were spared of the financial burden associated with quality healthcare.

He emphasised that a multi-stakeholders effort must be instituted to achieve the policy objectives of the scheme which he said, centred on affordable and quality health services.

The commissioner said the scheme would commence operation by enrolling beneficiaries from the formal sector and would extend to the non-formal sector, subsequently.

Etebu expressed confidence that the scheme, chaired by Prof. E. Kunle-Olowu, would deliver on its mandate.

Earlier in her remarks, Kunle-Olowu, described participants at the workshop as key stakeholders with relevant inputs critical to the successful implementation of the scheme.

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The chairperson promised that the management of the scheme delivers qualitative, affordable and accessible healthcare services to all residents in Bayelsa.

She expressed confidence that the commitment participants demonstrated at the workshop would provide additional direction for the success of the scheme.

Kunle-Olowu said the assignment of the participants was very important because they would assess and accredit health facilities for the programme.

She urged them to carry out their assignment with utmost sincerity and ensure that all medical facilities to be accredited meet prerequisite standard.

Giving the overview of the scheme, the Executive Secretary of BSHIS, Dr Zuoboemi Agadah explained that the scheme was a social insurance programme for risk equalisation, where everybody had an equal opportunity to Medicare.

Agadah said the scheme would also ensure that the rich in the society take care of the poor.

He said the amount to be contributed to the scheme by enrollees would be determined by their income, adding that those who earned higher pay would make a bigger contribution.

Agadah said the benefits of the programme would be both at primary and secondary care but with some conditions.

He explained that each ‘enrollee’ could only register his or her spouse and four biological children under 18 years.