By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The board of Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Agency Health Insurance Agency has been inaugurated with Dr Edikan Ekwere as chairman.
Also in the board are the special assistant to the governor on Health Insurance, Dr Arthur Igbemi, as executive secretary and secretary to board, as well as Dr Oku Okoiseh, Mr Andy Eyo, Dr Christie Akwaowo, Dr Itoro Udoh, Professor Eyo Ekpe,Mr Nnamso Marcus, State chairman of NLC, Comrade Sunny James, Comrade Kingsley Ekong, Mrs Magdalene Udom, directors representing Ministries of Justice, Finance, Department of Establishment, as well as state coordinator of the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Inaugurating the board, at the State Executive Chambers, Governor’s Office, Uyo, Tuesday, the State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, said the idea of a medical insurance scheme, like is done in most Western societies, makes the management of healthcare services easily available to the people, as it limits the cost of medical bills borne by the people and in the process helps with early detection and cure of easily preventable diseases.
Eno said the inauguration of the board was in fulfilment of his campaign promise to set up a functional health insurance scheme that will make healthcare delivery service affordable and accessible to all in the state, noting that one of the goals of his ARISE Agenda is to produce a healthy and educated workforce in line with Sustainable Development Goal 3, which explains why government concentrated its efforts in the provision of healthcare services at the primary or rural areas, recalling the already commissioned first model primary healthcare centreat Ikot Nkwo, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area and others soon to be commissioned.
The governor congratulated the newly inaugurated board members, and expressed hope that with the varied experience and professional accomplishments of each of them, the vision of government in the agency will be a roaring success.
He charged the chairman of the board to work collaboratively with his team and bring their exceptional professionalism to bear while carrying out the enormous task ahead of them, saying government’s top priority was to ensure that its citizens do not lack access to affordable healthcare.
The governor urged them to take charge and be ready to carry out their responsibilities efficiently, warning against playing politics where people’s lives are involved.
“This event also represents the fulfillment of a campaign promise I had made to our dear people, that if you elected me to office, I will set up an insurance scheme that will seek to make healthcare delivery service easily available to majority of our people at a cost that is both cheap and manageable.
Interacting with Government House correspondents shortly after the inauguration, chairman of the board, Dr Edikan Ekwere, said he and his team were ready to take health coverage to the hinterlands, register and critically examine the state of health care facilities in the state, and ensure universal and affordable healthcare to the entire citizens of the State.
Ekwere assured of the fulfilment of the governor’s ARISE Agenda,while working together to extend healthcare to all and sundry.
Discussion about this post