BY PATRICK MGBODO
The Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC) has set forth ambitious plans to significantly expand the state’s health insurance scheme, with a goal to extend coverage to one million enrollees within the next 12 months.
The ambition was announced yesterday by the Chairman of the commission’s governing board, Dr Augustine Obidi during the inauguration of new board members in Asaba.
The move comes as part of a broader strategy by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to strengthen the state’s healthcare infrastructure and ensure that all residents of the State can avail themselves of quality medical services.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Chairman highlighted the pressing need to broaden the reach of the health insurance scheme, emphasizing the importance of proactive healthcare measures for the overall well-being of the state’s residents.
According to him, ‘’Now that the full complement of the governing board is in place, we must hit the ground running. In subsequent engagements, the roadmap will be unveiled. These include but not limited to;
‘’Exponential increase of enrollee population (We think one million enrollees per year is possible), increased awareness of the scheme, digitization of the commission, redefining the access-to-finance program, registration of all residents, staff motivation, among others’’ he said.
Addressing journalists on the sidelines, the Director General of the Commission, Dr. Isaac Akpoveta, said that in seven years, the state has registered 1.8million enrollees into the scheme making it the highest public health insurance in the country, adding that over 30 percent of the state’s population have been covered.
‘’We need to do more. Our mandate is to ensure that all Deltans are registered in the scheme. In the next one year, we will bring in at least One Million more and that will represent over 40 percent of the state’s population’’ he said.
One of the board members who spoke to journalists after the inauguration, Deacon Okezi Odugala pledged to deploy his wealth of experience in the civil society to deepen sustainable development processes in the state’s contributory health commission.
Members of the governing board of the commission took the oath of office/allegiance administered by the Commission’s director of legal services.
