Director General, Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Dr. Isaac Alpoveta has said that the state government subsidizes over 300 caesarian sections monthly across its 550 facilities in the state.

Akpoveta, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the commission, disclosed this when the executives and members of the Asaba Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) visited him on Wednesday in Asaba.

He said that the state remained number one in contributory health insurance in the country with the enrollment figure presently at over two million persons across the nook and cranny of the state.

According to him, the state subsidizes the healthcare of pregnant women and children under age five free at a cost running into millions.

He noted that these services were some of the salient efforts of the state government that were not noticed, adding that only the media as an agent of development could highlight them.

He said that the commission was signed into law in 2016, under the administration of the immediate past Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa while the incumbent Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori, was a member of the State House of Assembly.

He noted that the commission started seeing patients in January 2017, adding that between then and now, the commission has enrolled over 35 per cent of the people in Delta into the scheme.

“Delta State is number one in every parameter of health insurance in the country.

” I can tell you that we cover the bills of over 300 cesarean sections monthly at a cost of over N500,000 each but it has been a silent activity of the government that people are not aware of.

“Asaba Specialist Hospital (ASH) alone covers over 60 to 70 caesarian sections monthly.

“Scheme by law has plans; the equity plan is for the vulnerable, the formal plan is for the Civil Servants and the organised private sector, while the informal plan is for the artisans,” he said.

He said that the commission was primarily set up to finance the health sector, adding that with N7,000 premium, an enrollee would have access to healthcare in any facility in the state and designated facilities outside the state for one year.

“The commission is set up to cover the residents of Delta from financial constraints. Today, many have been pulled into poverty because of health bills.

“People sell land and properties to pay health bills and to secure their health, so health insurance is to prevent financial disaster and to protect the individual from financial constraints.

” The scheme is to cover all residents of Delta, irrespective of tribe, language or colour, religion or culture but all that live in the state should be covered.

According to Akpovita, the scheme is law and mandatory for all residents in the state.

“Especially, the state is determined to protect the vulnerable people, particularly pregnant women and children under five years and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

“I am glad that you mentioned that the yearly premium of N7,000 for the health insurance is small compared to the huge cost of accessing medical care but this is possible because the government has been subsidising.

“In 2016, when we did the accrual determination of how much should cover an individual healthcare in a year, it was put at about N18, 000 per enrollee,”

He said that the cost of health servicing would have been higher now given the inflationary trend but the government of Delta under Gov. Oborevwori believes in taking care of its people.

He, however, called on other well meaning people of the state to support the scheme by enrolling indigent members of the community into the scheme.

Earlier, the chapel Chairman, Mr Ifeanyi Olannye lauded the government for its bid to provide quality healthcare at a considerable cost for residents of the state.

He noted that with the current economic realities of today, a fee of N7,000 as premium for medical services for a year remains an economic rent (gain) for the enrollee.

While congratulating Akpoveta for a well deserved appointment, he commended his passion for the job, particularly the inclusion of students of the state owned tertiary institutions into the scheme.

“You personally sponsored and enrolled 1,000 indigent persons on remote communities and other persons with Disabilities into the scheme from across the state.

“Your passion to save lives and ensure a healthy living among citizens of the state is in line with the M.O.R.E Agenda of the Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration.

Dr Isaac Akpoveta conducted the journalists on a facility tour to showcase the automated system provided by the state government to ensure effective healthcare delivery in the state.