Within the past year, the Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS) has enrolled 198,810 residents, including 10,065 pregnant women who received access to the programme at no charge.
In a press statement yesterday, the senior special assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike said that the Wike-led Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had witnessed a notable surge in FHIS enrollment, surpassing the annual target of 25,000 by 17 to 44 per cent.
Lere Olayinka, stressed the administration’s commitment to reducing maternal and infant mortality rates attributed to preventable causes, stating, “Of the 198,810 residents enrolled, 10,065 vulnerable persons, including pregnant women, enjoyed free enrollment, granting them access through the Primary Health Care (PHC) Centres to all services included in the Basic Minimum Package of Health Services (BMPHS).”
According to Olayinka, the comprehensive services offered include primary preventive care, screenings, emergency services, and secondary care options such as dental, mental health, eye, ear, nose, and throat care, along with surgeries and various laboratory and radiological investigations.
He encouraged residents to participate in the FHIS, highlighting that the free registration for vulnerable individuals, including pregnant women, which began in February of this year, is still ongoing.
“All pregnant women who enroll through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) Primary Health Care Centres across the six Area Councils in the FCT will continue to benefit from free health education, medical consultations, routine antenatal medications, laboratory investigations, and delivery services,” Olayinka said.
The minister’s spokesperson further added that referrals for secondary care—covering cesarean sections, blood transfusions, and other obstetric emergencies—are available without any cost at all 14 General Hospitals in the FCT through the BHCPF.
He stated that the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, echoed these sentiments during an event at Gwarinpa District Hospital commemorating World Health Day 2025.
“Under the leadership of Barrister Nyesom Wike, the FCTA has intensified its efforts to combat maternal and infant deaths.
“A key intervention is the approval of free health insurance coverage for all pregnant women residing in the FCT, ensuring that all childbirth-related expenses, including vaginal and cesarean deliveries, are fully covered at no cost.
“This initiative is part of the activities marking this year’s event under the Renewed Hope Initiative, which maintains a zero-tolerance stance on maternal and infant mortality,” he said.
He further stated that in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Fasawe added that several hospitals in the FCT, including Gwarinpa, Nyanya, Abaji, and Kuje General Hospitals, have been designated as Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEONC) centres, providing cesarean sections at no charge to patients.
