The Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has disclosed that no fewer than 250,000 residents of the state have benefited from the state’s health insurance scheme since its inception.
The governor stated that the health sector in the state was undergoing various reforms to the benefit of the people of the state.
Aiyedatiwa stated this at the unveiling of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria as the Non-State Actor for the IMPACT Malaria Project in Akure, the state capital on Thursday.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Health Matters, Prof. Simidele Odimayo, the governor said the beneficiaries of the insurance scheme included the elderly, widows, orphans, sickle cell patients, among others.
Giving the breakdown, Odimayo said, “Over 250,000 people are benefitting from the state health insurance: 8754 elderly, 7012 widows, 2712 disabled, 1500 orphans, and 3040 sickle cell warriors are accessing treatment free of charge in the state.”
He also revealed that the first ever essential medicine list was inaugurated a few months ago, noting that revitalisation was going on in all primary health care facilities, which included provision of borehole water, 24-hour power supply through solar and accommodations to ensure the availability of health workers to deliver qualitative health care to people
“There is also the ongoing Aiyedatiwa Hepatitis B elimination program, and also, the government is ensuring the availability of viable drugs in health facilities through the establishment of the state Contributory Health Commission,” he noted.
According to him, the current administration in the state has recorded landmark achievements in the health sector, which has led to better well-being of the people.
He added, “Since our assumption in office, there has been continuous employment of health workers, regular payment of their salary, which is at par with those of federal workers. The restructuring of the tertiary hospital has birthed a federal teaching hospital in the state.”
In his remarks, the Project Coordinator, IMPACT Project, Dr Waheed Afolayan, explained that the selection process of NSA and the engagement of NSA were done according to the National Malaria Elimination Program and World Bank’s principles and policies in line with the project implementation manual
