Enrollment into the Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC), rose to over two million as at Wednesday March 27th 2024, the Director General of the Commission, Dr Isaac Akpoveta, has said.
This shows that the Commission recorded a total of over two hundred thousand fresh enrolments in the last two months as the total enrolment figure stood at over two million at the end of March 2024.
As at Wednesday 24th January 2024, the State already had over 1.8 million enrollees in seven years, which is more than 30% of the population.
This feat has put the state at number one in health insurance across the federation.
This disclosure was made by the Director General, Olorogun Dr. Akpoveta, on Wednesday March 27th 2024, at a courtesy visit by members of the Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (OMPAN), Delta State chapter, at the Commission’s headquarters in Asaba, the State capital.
According to him, “today, we have a robust number of enrollees. Just this week, we crossed two million enrollees registered into the scheme”.
On the recent surge in enrollees, especially in the last two months, Dr. Akpoveta explained that a major reason was the introduction of initiatives like the Tertiary Institution Social Health Insurance Programme (TSHIP), Indigent Enrollee Adoption Initiative and the Artisan Enrollee Inducement Initiative.
The TISHIP was first initiated by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), some years back, but could not be sustained. However, the State graciously embraced it and is already making huge progress in the programme.
“So, all the students in the universities in Delta State, are under the scheme as they have paid for it as a part of their school fees”.
Dr. Akpoveta noted that the Commission had agreed with institutions to upgrade the medical equipments in the institution’s clinics using the dynamics of the health financing.
The Director General opined that students registered under the scheme are able to access care in their institution’s clinics and outside the clinics when they were on break, noting that the move would help to upgrade medical facilities in educational institutions across the state and boost employment.
He also revealed that the registration for the students into the scheme was ongoing in order for them to benefit from the scheme as Delta state residents.
Another inclusive initiative, created by the commission to include all residents of the state into the scheme, is the Artisan Enrollee Inducement Initiative. It is designed for crafts and skilled workers who form the Grey Economy Sector of the population.
The Director General explained that the initiative was borne out of the recognition that the N7000 premium healthcare insurance per annum may be too much for those in such categories to pay in bulk, hence the Commission was in talks with some financial institutions, to help reduce the burden on the artisans by providing a soft loan, to enable them benefit from the scheme.
Additional initiatives comprise the Access-to-Finance and Indigent Enrollee Adoption Initiatives, with the latter gaining traction among prominent figures in the state, as well as associations and groups.
The Director-General called on all well to do Deltans residing anywhere in the country and in the diaspora to buy the N7000 health insurance premium for people of low income who may not be able to afford it themselves.
Dr. Akpoveta said Governor Sheriff Oborevwori was concerned about the welfare of the indigent and vulnerable persons in the society and had ensured the Commission had a Board that comprises of experienced professionals, with a mindset of sustainability and continuity, even as he thanked the Governor for appointing him the DG of the Commission.
The Governing Board of the Commission was inaugurated with Dr. Austin Obidi, as Chairman on Wednesday 24th January 2024, in Asaba.
Towards the end of the courtesy visit by OMPAN, the Director-General paid the N7,000 naira Health Insurance Premium for each of the seven members of the OMPAN delegation, to enable them receive quality healthcare for one year, while charging them to become advocates of the Commission.
Earlier, the State Chairman of OMPAN, Mr. Peter Emmy Legacy, said the DSCHC has become a global brand and that many were beginning to wonder the secret behind its success while stating that the purpose of OMPAN’s visit was to enhance their relationship with the Commission to ensure a factual and balanced reportage of activities of the Commission.
Commending the kind gesture of the DG, the State Secretary, Mr Otiti Akpovoke, pledged on behalf the group to be good advocates of the commission’s Initiatives.
Also in attendance were the Directors of the various departments in the commission.
