BAYELSA GOVT SETS ASIDE N500M FOR HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME

BAYELSA GOVT SETS ASIDE N500M FOR HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME 

The Bayelsa State Government has earmarked the sum of 500 hundred million Naira to kick-start a health insurance scheme in the State. Disclosing this while receiving the report of the State Health Committee on Wednesday in Government House, Yenagoa, Governor Seriake Dickson said the scheme would cover all civil servants. According to him, “this is a project that we are very passionate about and that is the state health insurance policy.

I have been informed you have talked about it.” “I hope that your recommendations and findings in that regard are exhaustive but we intend in no distant time to set up a technical committee to undertake the drafting of the legislation that will support the health insurance scheme.”  “We feel that we should not allow our people to bear the brunt of healthcare.
It is never done in any decent society. Our people in this state deserve the support of government in terms of health care provisions and particularly they need to know that if they fall ill and do not have money, their government has a programme that will come to their aid.” The Governor noted that some members of the technical committee will be drawn from the health committee due to their experience and expertise in the health sector as well as be involved in the implementation of government programme on health. He said all civil servants are expected to key into the proposed scheme and pay only a token assuring that government’s contribution towards the insurance scheme will go a long way in ensuring its future sustainability as opposed to previous schemes in the state. 

Acknowledging the fact that government did not declare a state of emergency in the health sub-sector, Governor Dickson pointed out that government has invested massively in health with the upgrading of various health facilities across the state as well as the construction of standard general hospitals in all the 8 local government areas. He also expressed government’s desire to ensure the early completion of the 350 bed Melford Okilo General Hospital, Yenagoa, construction of the Diagnostic Centre, upgrading of Diete Koki Memorial Hospital and Government House Clinic to places of excellence. 

The Governor charged the committee to embark on the second phase of the assignment by touring all the communities to ascertain the capacity of Health centres and make appropriate recommendations on the way forward. ‘Government is desirous of providing functional health facilities in every community in the state, including living quarters for community health workers that will be posted to the areas’ Hon Dickson also called on the committee to make available raw data that will help government plan for the future in the health sector. 

Earlier, the Chairman of the Health Committee and Commissioner for Health, Dr. Anapurere Michael Awoli had recommended the declaration of a State of Emergence in the Health sector due to its numerous challenges. He said there was need for human capacity training, the development of  a Cardiology Department and financing of the sector through the proposed State Health Insurance scheme.

 Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State