The director general of the Edo State Health Insurance Commission (EDOHIC), Mrs. Augusta Ikpea-Enaholo, recently led an inspection team on a tour of key health facilities in the Edo Central senatorial district.
This initiative is part of the commission’s State Equity Plan and Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) Plan and marks the commencement of the second phase of the front-loading programme.
Image maker to the commission Omonigho Trinitas said the visit underscored her commitment to ensuring that vulnerable populations in Edo State receive accessible and quality healthcare.
The tour began at the EDOHIS operations office in Ekpoma, where the DG and her compliance director met with the head of operations for the district.
During this meeting, she stressed the importance of teamwork and urged all staff to actively contribute towards achieving the agency’s mandate, ensuring that the community experiences the tangible benefits of the health insurance scheme.
Throughout her visits, the DG addressed several operational challenges at various facilities. At Ukpenu Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), the matron reported delays in accessing funds for essential drugs due to pending updates on account signatories and assured that the matter would be expedited for prompt resolution.
At Ujoelen PHC in Ekpoma, the DG observed bureaucratic bottlenecks hindering the effective utilisation of commission funds, thereby impacting the quality of healthcare delivery.
Similarly, at Obeidu PHC, the matron briefed the team, noting low community enrollment in the scheme.
In response, Mrs Ikpea-Enaholo advised that enhanced sensitization efforts, in collaboration with the Ward Development Committee, would be essential to boost participation.