By Oye Chijioke.
Delta state government says it is taking steps to implement the health insurance scheme that will be beneficial to the people of the state, the state commissioner for health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge stated this in Asaba at a stakeholder’s forum on draft benefits of the contributory health insurance scheme.
He noted that ten years after the commencement of the implementation of the national health insurance in the country, many state governments are yet to put it in place as a legal framework for the successful take off of the scheme for the benefits of their workers, the situation in delta appears to encouraging as the bill has passed through second reading and public hearing at the state assembly.
Dr.Azinge said that the state government was collaborating with relevant stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of the scheme. and the contributory health insurance scheme is expected to cover primary surgery,paediatrics,emergencies,labouratary investigations, special maternal, neonatal and child health care.
A resource person Dr. Jonathan Ake of the national health insurance scheme Abuja said that provisions would be made for citizens that are not working to benefit from the scheme, stressing that the health scheme was not designed only for the working class citizens but for all in the country.Dr.Dan Omodion allayed the fears by some persons that workers will be made to pay much in order to benefit from the health scheme. He commended the state government for her capacity to implement programmes that are human oriented like the free maternal services in the health centers.
