13th May, 2019
Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo says the proposed State Health Insurance Scheme (SHIS) will provide social justice for the aged, persons with disability and other vulnerable persons in society.
The governor said this while receiving the work plan for the implementation of the Edo SHIS in Benin on Monday.
He said an equity trust fund would be set up to raise funds that would take care of the health needs of vulnerable persons under the scheme.
“We will emphasise care for the weakest in the society; we will create a structure that will attract the necessary resources to support the sustainability of the equity fund,” the governor said.
He also assured that people with the right competence and skills would be selected to carry out the implementation of the scheme in the state.
“We are going to search all over the world to get the right people to implement this scheme because of the importance we place on health insurance,” he said.
He noted that the revamped 20 Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) across the state had boosted patients’ confidence to access care from PHCs and they were ready to pay for qualitative healthcare.
He added that the Ward Development Committees would be mobilised to sensitise people at the grassroots level to embrace the scheme.
Earlie, Prof. Mustapha Danesi, Chairman, Committee for the Establishment of Edo Insurance Scheme, said the work plan would guide the state in establishing a world class health insurance scheme.
He said a unique feature of the implementation was the inauguration of a board to regulate the scheme in accordance with good corporate governance.
He called for community sensitisation, noting that the success of the health insurance scheme was hinged on people keying into it.
He recommended that a board of trustees should be set up for the equity trust fund to allow transparency in the donation processes.