The Abia State Government on Thursday launched a formal health insurance scheme, a medical outreach programme, and a hearing aid intervention initiative aimed at improving access to healthcare services across the state.
These initiatives were unveiled during a ceremony held at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia, with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in attendance.
Speaking at the event, the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, said the launch of the Formal Sector Health Insurance Scheme would provide tens of thousands of civil servants and their dependents access to round-the-clock healthcare at designated facilities statewide. He noted that the government will cover 50 per cent of the premium for each enrollee over the next six months.
“This initiative is structured to drastically reduce out-of-pocket expenditure for workers, minimise the risks of self-medication, and ease the financial burden on families, especially during emergencies,” Otti said.
He added that the scheme would provide a wide range of services, including diagnostics, surgeries, orthopaedics, paediatrics, obstetrics, and gynaecology, all at subsidised rates.
Speaking on the Medical Outreach Programme, targeted at underserved communities, he said the programme will deliver free medical services within renovated public health facilities across rural areas in the state.
“This project will end the era of conducting medical outreach in open fields, markets, or community halls. All such interventions must now take place in licensed medical facilities and under professional supervision,” Otti stated, reiterating the government’s ban on unauthorised outreach activities in non-medical settings.
The third component of the event was the official rollout of the Sound Intervention Hearing Mission, a partnership between the Abia State Government and the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation. The initiative is aimed at providing hearing aids and support equipment to 1,000 people living with hearing impairments across the South East.
Speaking at the event, former President Olusegun Obasanjo commended the Abia State Government for prioritising healthcare and pledged continued support through his foundation.
Obasanjo revealed that he once experienced partial hearing loss during a medical check-up and used the opportunity to encourage regular health screenings.
“I did not know I was 25% deaf until I was tested. I was advised to use a hearing aid, and I did.
“This small device, barely visible, has restored my environmental awareness. Hearing loss isn’t a stigma. It’s just another part of living and ageing. I am glad Abia is leading this initiative,” Obasanjo said.
Governor Otti expressed gratitude to the former president for partnering with the state.
“This project is a direct endorsement of our modest achievements in the last 22 months,” he said.
He also noted that the state had consistently allocated 15% of its 2024 and 2025 budgets to the health sector, in line with the Abuja Declaration, focusing on infrastructure upgrades, personnel welfare, and the supply of medical equipment and consumables.
The governor reiterated his administration’s vision to create a healthcare system responsive to the needs of all residents, regardless of location or income level, and encouraged public servants to register for the health insurance scheme and give regular feedback.
He also called for public support through prompt tax payments, saying the health initiatives will cost the state billions of naira to sustain.
“This is just the beginning. We are building a system where no one is denied care due to financial constraints,” Otti said.
Abia Launches Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Source: The Whistler
