By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki.
The Ebonyi State government has unveiled plans to expand coverage of its health insurance scheme to two million residents by 2030, following the enrolment of 166,118 beneficiaries under the programme in the last four years.
The Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA), Dr Divine Okemefuna Igwe, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press conference at the Women Development Centre, Abakaliki, where he presented the agency's achievements between 2023 and 2026.
Igwe said the agency was targeting an additional 200,000 enrollees as part of efforts to broaden access to affordable and quality healthcare services, strengthen financial protection and reduce the burden of out-of-pocket medical expenditure on residents.
He explained that the expansion drive was anchored on the agency's strategic roadmap, tagged EBSHIA Vision 2030: One Ebonyi, One Health Insurance, One Health Future, which seeks to ensure that no resident is denied essential medical treatment because of financial constraints.
According to him, enrolment into the scheme is free, urging residents across the 13 local government areas to take advantage of the initiative to secure access to essential healthcare services without suffering financial hardship.
"The ultimate goal is to ensure that no Ebonyi resident is denied access to essential healthcare services because of the inability to pay for medical treatment," he said.
The EBSHIA boss called on political leaders, philanthropists, non-governmental organisations, corporate bodies and other well-meaning individuals to complement the government's efforts by sponsoring vulnerable residents in their communities to enrol in the scheme.
He maintained that supporting individuals to obtain health insurance coverage would provide more sustainable healthcare benefits than organising occasional medical outreaches.
Giving a breakdown of the agency's performance in maternal and newborn healthcare, Igwe disclosed that it recorded 114,298 antenatal care services, 33,706 normal deliveries, 2,093 caesarean sections and 543 assisted deliveries within the period under review.
He said the figures represented a total of 150,640 obstetric service records, reflecting the agency's interventions in improving access to maternal and newborn healthcare across the state.
On surgical interventions, the executive secretary said 1,450 surgical cases were recorded under the programme, comprising 855 hernia operations, 337 fibroid surgeries, 243 appendectomies and 15 lump removal procedures.
He added that the agency had also facilitated specialised procedures, including brain surgeries, breast and finger lump removals, as well as prostatectomies, demonstrating its support for beneficiaries requiring advanced medical interventions.
On disease management, Igwe disclosed that 226,560 communicable disease-related service cases, including complicated malaria, typhoid fever and complicated upper respiratory tract infections, were recorded during the period.
He further said the agency documented 49,199 cases relating to non-communicable diseases, while its eye healthcare interventions accounted for 4,614 services.
According to him, the eye care interventions comprised 2,065 screening services, the distribution of 2,065 pairs of eyeglasses and 484 eye surgeries.
The executive secretary also disclosed that 3,865 sickle cell-related cases were recorded, while 6,645 civil servants benefited from the agency's screening programme.
He expressed appreciation to Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru and his wife, Chief Mrs Mary-Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru, for their commitment to improving healthcare delivery and the general welfare of residents.
Igwe assured that the agency would intensify efforts to expand enrolment, strengthen financial risk protection, improve service delivery and establish a sustainable and accountable healthcare financing system.
Also speaking, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Primary Healthcare, Dr Sabinus Nwibo, described the health insurance scheme as a transformative intervention that had continued to improve access to healthcare in the state.
Nwibo recalled that Governor Nwifuru played a significant role in establishing the legal framework for the scheme while serving as Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, noting that the foundation had continued to yield benefits for residents.
In her remarks, the Chairman of the EBSHIA Board, Barrister Elizabeth Ogechi Ogbaga, said the press conference was organised to showcase the achievements of the state government in the health sector through the programme's performance and testimonies from beneficiaries.
She reaffirmed the board's commitment to ensuring that the agency discharged its statutory responsibilities effectively and strengthened healthcare delivery for the overall wellbeing of residents.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State Council, Comrade Samson Nwafor, commended the agency for providing beneficiaries with an opportunity to share their experiences and demonstrate the impact of the scheme.
Nwafor pledged the media's support in promoting public awareness and encouraging wider participation in the programme, assuring that the union would collaborate with the agency to publicise its activities and enrolment opportunities.
Some beneficiaries, including Precious Uguru, Happiness Ituma, Celine Aleke, Onyinyechi Nkwegu, Nkechi Nweke, Charity Nwovu and Rita Isaac, among others recounted their experiences under the scheme, describing how they accessed medical treatment, underwent successful surgical operations and received other essential healthcare services without bearing the full financial burden.
They expressed gratitude to the state government for providing access to medical interventions they said would otherwise have imposed considerable financial strain on them and their families.
The beneficiaries described the programme as a significant intervention in the state's healthcare sector and expressed support for the continuation of the administration's health initiatives.
