Health Insurance Scheme: Delta Govt Solicits For Enrollment

Determined to achieve the overall objective of ensuring universal health coverage, the Delta State government has solicited for the need to increase the enrollment for health insurance scheme in the state.

Acting director-general of Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC), Dr Alfred Ebiakofa, made the call during an awareness campaign in Asaba, saying it is determined to shore up the number of enrollees from the informal sector to over one million before the end of the year.

He called on artisans and other members of the informal sector in the state to enroll in the state’s health insurance scheme with a premium of N7,000 only per annum.

While saying the number of enrollees from the informal sector is unsatisfactory considering the total population of Delta State estimated to be six million, he said at the moment, there are 1.4 million enrollees out of which 1.2 million comprising pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under five years, are under the equity plan.

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Ebiakofa noted that the balance comprises of 170,000 enrollees from the formal sector (civil servants and their family members) while about 20,000 make up the informal sector.

“Our campaign now is to increase the figure for the informal sector because that is what is used to assess the scheme’s success story. We are targeting one million by the end of this year.

“The assessment of any successful health insurance programme is the coverage. What percentage of the population are you covering? And the better assessment is what percentage of the informal sector are you covering?

“If you take that aspect, we are not there yet. But on the other side, coverage of the vulnerable, mother and child going to the hospital and getting free treatment, we are doing well. For the formal sector, we are doing well,” he said.

According to him, with the N7,000.00 premium, an enrollee can have access to treatment of over 80 percent of prevailing ailments including malaria, diabetes, hypertension, cough, catarrh, among others with surgeries where necessary.

On steps taken so far to increase the number of enrollees from the informal sector, Ebiakofa disclosed that there was an ongoing campaign to encourage politicians and other well-meaning Deltans to mobilise residents for free treatment in September when Governor Sheriff Oborevwori would be 100 days old in office.