Ebonyi state government has mapped out the sum of N100m as its counterpart fund for health insurance scheme for state civil servants in the state.
This was disclosed by the executive-secretary of Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA), Dr Uzoma Agwu, on Wednesday during a 2 day sensitization meeting held for the National Labour Congress and Health worker on secondary health care service/drug tariff.
The programme was organized by USAID-IHP in collaboration with EBSHIA at New Haven Hotels, Abakaliki.
In her address, Dr Agwu noted that state government’s counterpart fund was ready, adding that the civil servants were the ones holding themselves from accessing quality health services at a minimal cost in the state.
She said immediately the NLC Ebonyi state chapter agree that the state government should start the 5% monthly deduction or 1.7 annual deduction for the health insurance from their salaries, the workers will begin to enjoy the programme.
She said the objectives of the workshop were to deepen the participants knowledge and understanding on the EBSHIS, sensitize the NLC members on their part in ensuring effective implementation of the Ebonyi state Health Insurance Scheme and to solicit buy-in of the organized labour into the scheme.
She stated that the law establishing the scheme, gave NLC the legal right to sue government if it defaults likewise the state government.
Dr Agwu noted that the enrollment into the scheme is open for all residents of the as the programme is factored into two sectors – formal and informal sectors, adding that for the informal enrollees, they are to pay 12, 000 annually or 1000 monthly and N45, 000 for six family beneficiaries.
She however noted that the major challenge they have was to start the deduction, adding that once that is done in the next three months the civil servants will start accessing care.
She said, “Is all in the hands of the civil servants, once we start deduction the government will pay their own counterpart fund. Though I may not calling it challenge now until we start deduction and state government does not pay their own counterpart fund.
“At the end of the programme I’m expecting that the labour leaders would have been well informed and they will go back to their people and plead with them to permit this deduction to start so that they can start benefiting from it.
“If they don’t want, we will re-strategize, maybe concentrate on the informal sector.
“The governor has earmarked N100 million as counterpart fund for the state to help workers under her workforce to access the scheme and we believe that once they are captured and deductions made that the fund will be released”.
In her address, USAID-IHP representative, Chidinma Eneze, said the sensitization would help the health insurance stakeholders understand how they can help the beneficiaries subscribe to the scheme and to help them to feel that they are part of the process.
She noted that Ebonyi state government has shown commitment in improving the health system through insurance scheme.
