The Executive Chairman of Degema Local Government Area, Hon Dr. Agiriye Monima Harry, has expressed the Council’s willingness to work with the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) in the enrollment of Degema people on the scheme.
The Council Chairman gave the nod, Monday, when he played host to members of the team, who visited him at the Council Secretariat in Degema to seek collaboration in its Universal Health Coverage (UHC) plan.
The Council Chairman admitted that more public enlightenment needs to be done for the people to know and appreciate the gains of the health insurance scheme, he also stated that his government will carry out more of these health insurance schemes assuring that the Council would provide the enablement for the group to reach more remote oceania communities like Ke and Bille in order to get them sensitized and enrolled, adding that Communities without functional health facilities would be primary targets of these schemes.
The orthopedic surgeon stated that the LGA would try to meet its enrollment quota of 4,810 persons in the basic healthcare provision programme, using the ‘SIM JARA’ health package and even try to surpass the figure, as steps would also be taken to address the health infrastructure dearth across communities of the LGA working closely with the relevant agencies.
He lamented that it was unfortunate “that those that would have benefitted the most are those that are not benefitting, because of the template on ground. So there must be some adjustments.
“We will encourage our people to enroll, even if we are going to pay for the plan so that they can at least access these things,” he said.
Earlier, the Acting Executive Secretary of RIVCHPP, Dr. Vetty Agala, who led the team on the advocacy visit to the chairman, congratulated him on his emergence as Chairman of Council, commending him for hitting the ground running especially in the health sector, which according to her was in line with Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s vision of ‘Health for All’, ably led by the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Chidinma Oreh.
She commended him for his role in the realization of the agency, whilst he was the Executive / Permanent Secretary in charge of the Rivers State Primary Health Care management Board, thanking him for his invaluable contributions.
She said: “For us, we are very excited because I can recall our journey. The journey of the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme. I can recall the role you played in ensuring that we are here as an agency.
“I recall all of the engagements we had both at the health financing technical committee level and even times when you had supported me to travel out of the state just to see that Rivers State could benefit from what other states in Nigeria are benefiting from for years.
“So, here we are approved by Governor Siminalayi Fubara in January 2024. And I’m sure you know also that the law establishing us was passed as far back as 2021 by the former Governor.”
Introducing the various health insurance plans, Dr Agala noted that
the Basic Health care Provision Plan, BHCPF, is totally free to beneficiaries and already paid for by the Federal and State Governments.
The BHCPF plan targets the vulnerable population, such as the pregnant women, children, people living with disabilities, the elderly, widows, vulcanizers, petty traders, as well as chronically ill people, which included those living with HIV/AIDS.
She however noted that the equity plan for the informal sector is codenamed the “SIM JARA” plan, because it is most affordable with an annual enrollment fee of N15,000.
She disclosed that there is a 100,000 enrollment target for Rivers State with Degema given a quota of 4,810, out of which about 2,640 enrollments have been achieved.
Dr. Agala appealed to the Council to assist the group in the areas of creating awareness, ensuring the enrollment of the Council staff as well as to enroll other indigent Degema people to meet the LGA quota.
She apprised that the package for the civil servants, which is five percent basic for the employee and ten percent match for their employer, covers for them and their spouses as well as four of their children under the age of eighteen.
Head, Health Services RIVCHPP, Dr. Ajie Ireju, Head Quality Assurance, RIVCHPP, Pharm. Vopnu Bona, CEO, 10Xbeta Consulting, Dr. Funso Adebaifo, Director Admins, RIVCHPP, Dr. Emordi E.E, Media and Information Officer, RIVCHPP, Idanye Oruigoni, Technical Assistant to the Executive Secretary, RIVCHPP, Ifeanyichi Uchechukwu and Felix Nengimote, the one in charge of ICT, were part of the RIVCHPP entourage.
