4,000 Pregnant Women, 8000 Civil Servant Receive Free Enrollment Into Ebony Health Insurance Scheme.

Over 4, 000 pregnant women, 8,000 Civil Servants in Ebonyi state have received free enrollment into the State Health Insurance scheme.

The enrollment of the pregnant women covering the 13 local government areas of the state was sponsored by the Governor's wife under her pet project, Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Person's Foundation (BERWO), in partnership with the State Health Insurance Agency.

The civil servants were registered under the auspice of the Governor who had earlier undertaken to pay the full year premium for all state civil servants.

Speaking to newsmen Thursday in Ohaukwu, the last local government area covered in the enrollment exercise for the women, the wife of the Governor, Mrs Uzoamaka Nwifuru said the free enrollment was part of the contribution of her foundation to drastically reduce maternal and child mortality which was rated high in the state.

Nwifuru represented by wife of the Chief of Staff and Coordinator of BERWO, Nkechi Echiegu, explained that about 3, 754 pregnant women had been enrolled in 12 local government areas across the state with over 100 deliveries fully sponsored by the scheme, from antenatal care to birth, including cesarean sections.

She projected that the number of enrollees would scale above 4, 000 after concluding Ohaukwu local government area.

Briefing the Press shortly after the field exercise, the Executive Secretary, Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Divine Igwe, commended Governor Francis Nwifuru and the wife for their concern for the safety and good health of the citizens.

He explained that the Agency has been able to increase enrollment into the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund to 51, 871.

He further explained that Governor Nwifuru decided to underwrite the yearly premium for the state civil servant to encourage them key into the scheme in order to begin enjoying the benefits.

Igwe emphasized: "In obligation, the state government is supposed to pay a counterpart of 3.5 % premium while civil servants pay 1.5%.

"But the Governor, out of empathy for workers had undertaken to bear the full 5% cost of premium for all the civil servants inorder to encourage them enroll in the scheme for their health and wellbeing."

Dr. Igwe who noted that the Agency was currently gearing up to begin enrollment of civil servants' dependents, further called on good spirited individual, corporate bodies and philanthropists to take advantage of the Agencies various packages to sponsor enrollment of more less privileged persons into the scheme to complement the efforts of the Governor and the wife.

Igwe explained: We have a package collectively abbreviated as GIFSHIP: Group, Individual, Family and Social health programme.

"Under this, the yearly premium for individuals is only N12, 000 while that of family is N54, 000.

"We also have the TISHIP which is tertiary Institutions Social Health Programme.

"We are all aware that students in tertiary institutions pay medical charges as part of their school fees which they do not utilize.

"So, we are currently in talks with the Vice Chancellor of Ebonyi state University to see how we can convert those charges into premiums to enable students of the institution and others of their kind join the scheme and access free healthcare services."

Sharing their testimonies to newsmen during the event, some beneficiary pregnant women and mothers including Promise Chukwuka, Oliga Chukwuemeka and Onyiyechi Echem from Ishielu, Ezza South and Afikpo Local government areas respectively, affirmed that the Agency has brought a lot of relief and succour to them.

They confirmed that they were given adequate, cost free healthcare services at designated healthcare facilities, starting from antenatal to delivery, with free referral services, including cesarean sections where applicable.

The beneficiaries appreciated the Agency and the government of Ebonyi state for the gesture and called on others to join the scheme to enjoy the beautiful packages in its coffers.