Delta Health Insurance Beneficiaries Rises To 2.78m

Delta State government has recorded remarkable growth since the launch of the Delta State Health Insurance Scheme (DSHIS) with enrolment increasing from about 1.3 million to over 2.78 million beneficiaries.

The director-general of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission, (DSCHC), Dr Isaac Akpoveta, disclosed this to journalists in Asaba.

He said the state government allocates 0.5 per cent of its annual budget to fund the plan.
Akpoveta announced that pregnant women in Delta State now enjoy free antenatal care, delivery, including caesarean sections and postnatal care under the scheme, adding that children born under the programme are covered for healthcare until the age of five at no cost to their parents.

According to him, while Delta has over 2.7 million enrollees, the closest state has just above one million beneficiaries, making Delta the leading state in health insurance coverage nationwide.

He said the scheme now operates across the entire state, including rural and hard-to-reach communities where some residents had never previously accessed medical care.

He explained that these services fall under the Equity Health Plan, which caters for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, children under five, the elderly, persons with disabilities and those with mental health challenges.

Akpoveta noted that with the flexible payment options introduced, allowing informal workers to make small daily payments over time, the scheme has contributed to a significant reduction in maternal and child mortality in Delta State and has received recognition at both national and international levels.

“To support residents who cannot afford the premium, the commission introduced initiatives such as the Indigenous People Early Adopters Initiative, which allows individuals, organisations and people in the diaspora to sponsor health insurance for others through a digital payment platform”

Akpoveta said civil servants contribute 3.5 per cent of their salaries to the scheme, while workers in the organized private sector contribute five per cent. For those in the informal sector, he said the annual premium is ₦7,000.

According to him, his retention as director-general helped to deepen reforms, strengthen systems and ensure long-term planning, revealing that Delta State currently ranks first in Nigeria in health insurance enrolment.

“Through the programme, doctors and nurses have been deployed to underserved areas, improving access to healthcare for thousands of residents. There is deployment of over 300 Service Quality Monitors (SQMs) across major hospitals. These monitors ensure patients are attended to promptly, treated with respect and given the correct medications.

“Beneficiaries are verified through facial recognition technology before receiving treatment. Only registered enrollees benefit from the scheme. Patient encounters are also monitored in real time across health facilities.”

He, however, said funding remains a major challenge and called on corporate organisations, individuals and development partners to support the scheme through corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Delta State Contributory Health Scheme, (DSCHS), was officially launched on January 1, 2017 in Delta State.