Anambra State government has commenced the registration of about twenty-eight thousand, two hundred and forty-six persons who will benefit from the National Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.
It is provided by the Federal Government and implemented through State Health Insurance Scheme.
The inaugural ceremony took place at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Akpo, in Aguata Local Government Area and had other eleven teams that covered the eleven Primary Healthcare Centre wards in Aguata simultaneously.
Speaking on the occasion, Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Vincent Okpala, encouraged Ndi Anambra to utilize the services provided by the scheme instead of patronizing quacks for serious health challenges that have resulted in preventable deaths.
He thanked Governor Willie Obiano for making the State a beneficiary through his commitment and provision of both funds and support.
The Commissioner also commended the State Health Insurance Agency for its good work, and expressed confidence that the it would be well handled by the State Health Insurance Agency and the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
The Executive Secretary of Anambra State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi, while explaining reasons behind the exercise, informed that eighty-five persons have been chosen per ward from all the communities in the state to benefit from the free healthcare programme.
He revealed that the exercise is expected to reach every ward over the next five weeks, adding that at the end, about twenty-eight thousand, two hundred and forty-six Ndi Anambra would have been registered from across the three hundred and twenty-six electoral wards of the State to benefit from the project. .
Dr. Onyemaechi who is also the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, pointed out that the exercise will give Ndi Anambra, especially the poor and vulnerable, access to basic minimum package of services that include antenatal, labour and delivery for pregnant women, treatment of ailments like Malaria, Typhoid fever, Pneumonia, other chest infections, diarrhoea in children, hypertension and diabetes mellitus among others.
The programme according to Dr. Onyemaechi, will ensure that the health indices of the State improves rapidly, as access will be expanded to the poor members of the society to quality healthcare services.
Mrs Agnes Nwafor, a beneficiary from Akpo community, thanked the State and Federal Governments for the programme, while urging the authorities to ensure that those who enrol, are well attended to when they desire to access healthcare services.
