Raymond Ozoji, Awka
Dr. Simeon Beluonwu Onyemaechi, Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA) says that Anambra state is to be among the first states in the country to implement federal government’s health care provision fund.
He stated this in his office in Awka during an exclusive interview with our correspondent.
He said from 1st April, 2021, anybody who registered for the basic health care provision fund in Anambra state could go to the primary health care centre where he was enrolled to obtain his identification card which would enable him to access medical care free of charge.
Onyemaechi also disclosed that the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency has paid capitation for the month of April to all the primary health care facilities where enrollees of the basic health care provision fund would access free medical services unhindered.
The ASHIA boss further explained that from 1st April, 2021 all the health facilities under the basic health care provision fund would begin to render services to beneficiaries because they have been paid and that ASHIA was committed to ensuring that capitations were paid every month to ensure enrollees didn’t encounter difficulties accessing medicare.
He said that the scope of the health care provision fund covered antenatal services, child delivery, treatment of malaria, typhoid, minor surgeries, dental issues, treatment of eye conditions together with issuance of glasses, treatment of skin diseases, tuberculosis and a host of other ailments even though he also mentioned that major surgical operations were not in the list.
According to him, medical services under the basic health care provision fund were entirely free because government bears the burden of the cost.
He however informed that ASHIA had conducted an orientation course for about 400 health workers drawn from the 326 political wards in the state as well as coordinators and heads of departments of primary health care centres including secondary facilities selected for referrals, where their capacities were enhanced to herald the commencement of service delivery in the basic health care provision fund.
He reiterated that the beauty of the programme was that about 28, 246 Ndi-Anambra across the state would from 1st April, 2021 begin to access free comprehensive basic minimum package of health services determined by the federal government.
Onyemaechi equally lauded Governor Willie Obiano’s efforts in the health sector; saying that the governor has made noticeable attempts to revamp and reorganize primary health care facilities across the state through the setting up of the Anambra State Primary HealthCare Development Agency.
The medical expert noted that the governor has refurbished about 63 primary health care centres including general hospitals, increased health workers’ salaries, stressing that no public health facility has ever gone on strike since Obiano became governor.