In line with his avowed commitment to providing top quality healthcare to Ndi Anambra, the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano has inaugurated a 13-member Governing Council for the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency.
The Council was inaugurated during a brief ceremony at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia at the weekend.
The Council has Dr Philip Umezoke as Chairman and the Secretary as Mr Emmanuel Ezeoke and other members including the Commissioner for Health, Dr Josephat Akabuike, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Ifeatu Onejeme and Dr Eric Anazodo representing the State Chapter of Nigeria Medical Association.
Others are Mrs Chisom Uche representing the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Mr Anselm Obi representing the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, Comrade Benson Jibike representing Organized Labor, Mike Opia of Civil Society Organisations, Mrs Chinasa Añunobi for National Health Insurance Scheme as well as three others representing the three senatorial districts of the state.
Inaugurating the Council, Governor Obiano said the beauty of the scheme was that it would help to ensure that many people who ordinarily could not afford quality healthcare due to lack of funds, would now be able to access quality medicare at no cost.
While noting that the Council would among other things, assist in selecting healthcare facilities to be accredited for use under the scheme, Governor Obiano said the next step was the upgrade of the facilities, adding that the various health institutions which his administration had ensured their accreditation will yield the health manpower for the scheme.
He urged the Council to immediately hit the ground running and devise strategies on how the scheme would be sustained and assured that his government would with immediate effect, provide the initial 200 million naira required to jumpstart the process.
Earlier, the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Solo Chukwulobelu who noted that the scheme was part of the institutional reforms which the Obiano administration had brought to the state’s health sector, said the scheme came about as a viable option for addressing the burden of health financing militating against effective healthcare delivery in the State.
Responding, the Chairman of the Council, Dr Umezoke while describing the scheme as evident to the Governor’s love and concern for the health of Ndi Anambra, expressed gratitude to him for finding them worthy to serve the state in that capacity and gave the assurance that they would deliver.
A formal inauguration of the Council by the Governor formed the highpoint of the event.