By Frank Ulom
Cross River State First Lady, Her Excellency, Dr. (Mrs.) Linda Ayade on Saturday commissioned the launch of Home Health Care, a programme by Vital Signs in collaboration with AyadeCare in Calabar.
Speaking, Dr Ayade who praised the innovation said, in the past years, it’s been difficult to get good medical services due to the torrential system. And that, many efforts from those in the medical sector have proved infertile.
She added that, it was a very big delight to the state when His Excellency, Senator Professor Ben Ayade brought in the AyadeCare. According to her, the innovation is there to help both the rich and the poor and for all to have quality healthcare at the time of need.
Speaking on the benefits of these programmes, Dr Ayade spread the play on why everyone should get a health insurance.
Her words: “Sometimes when someone falls sick, it’s either you don’t have the means to go to the hospital or you don’t have the hospital near you at the time you need it. Those are the challenges that AyadeCare is here to tackle.”
The stipend of N1000 per month which is an accumulative of N12000 per year for Home Health Care, Dr Ayade said is cheaper for everyone than what a person pays when he/she falls ill and later admitted in a hospital. But with AyadeCare, she said no matter the illness and number of times, the insurance covers all.
“As we are launching the Home Health Care of the AyadeCare, we hope that Cross River State in the nearest future would be a hub to refer to in Nigeria in terms of medical care.
“Health is wealth and if we know we’d keep ourselves healthy, then we shall get even wealthier. We’ve exemplified that today, and hopefully in the future, Cross River State will begin to get quality healthcare”, Ayade said.
Giving her remarks, the CEO of Vital Signs and the Chief Host of Home Health Care, Dr. Genevieve Barnaby Ephraim said the programme will slow the growth of Healthcare cost for families, businesses and the government. She added that, it’ll save lives due to early intervention and at the same time reduce infection rates as well as encouraging and continuing care between the home and hospital.
Dr. Barnaby whose inspiration was drawn from her livelihood in Cross River State and the United Kingdom said, “Healthcare is decisive of our future prosperity, it concerns more than material things, it is above all moral issues but concerns fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our state.
“The government has stepped in to bring Home Health Care Services. Let us all join hands together to bring some basic peace of mind to our families”, she concluded
His Royal Highness, the Ndidem of the Quas, Sir Barr. Dr. Patrick Inok Agbor who blessed the project also applauded Governor Ayade who innovated the Home Health Care.
He advised all and sundry including the members of the royal palace to embrace the programme as it will help curb poverty in Cross River State.
His words: “This is the healthcare that has been made feasible, affordable and ever ready to reach you wherever you are.
“For our Elders and the senior citizens of this State, I brought you purposely to see what is going to happened, so that tomorrow no one will say he’s not informed.
“This is the process where you can stay at the comfort of your home and use a simple phone call and services will be delivered to you in a very short period of time. The service you’ll derive from here will be far much cheaper than that of the hospital which is more stressful and barely reliable”, he said.
Speaking also at the event was the Chairman, Dr. Inyang Asibong, Honourable Commissioner for Health who pointed 4 key things about health insurance which includes; making Healthcare available, affordable, feasible and accessible for everyone. She added that, the Vital Signs’ Home Health Care is a component of the Cross River State Health Insurance Scheme (CRSHIS) known as AyadeCare that is starting October 1st, 2017.
“The Home Health Care is the concept of bringing healthcare services to the comfort of our homes for just N1000. It’s specifically designed for the elderly ones, people who are very sick and cannot make it to the hospital, etc.
“It is the first of it kind in Nigeria and other states are watching to see how it’ll work out so for them to follow. Therfore, everybody should key in, since it’s everyone’s programme and not for government alone.
“The programme is designed for everybody, both indigenes and non-indigenes and at the same rate of N1000, just like the AyadeCare”, she concluded.
The Director General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Betta Edu who lauded the innovation was pleased to say the Agency has donated a building already for the Home Health Care. She thanked Governor Ayade, Dr Linda Ayade, the Commissioner for Health and the chiefs for the support as the programme is the key to quality healthcare delivery at everyone’s door’s step.
She said that, one of the very strong request of Governor Ayade was to see that quality healthcare services can be taken to the doors of everyone in Cross River State; this is what gave rise to the AyadeCare.
She said, “I am so grateful that we have a little part of the AyadeCare which is today Home Health Care.
“We have equally given our supports to ensure that workers will go to homes to deliver services to all registered persons.
“This is the first in Nigeria, and we hope we can replicate other Local Government Areas across the state almost immediately so that other states in Nigeria can emulate Cross River State.
“We are proud of AyadeCare as it’s started from the Home Health Care, we are proud that Cross River is making progress in achieving Universal Health Coverage,” Dr Edu said.
Earlier speaking was Prof. Rowland Ndoma-Egba, Consultant Surgeon and Professor of Surgery at the University of Calabar and University of Calabar Teaching Hospital who said, health insurance is an interesting new innovation.
He added that, Nigeria Healthcare has undergone several innovations including; the paediatric care, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), etc.
“The problem in our society today is for the arrangement of patients to be administered into the hospital, but with the advent of Home Health Care Plus, that problem can be partly solved.
“The benefit of health care services is not only for healthcare alone. The service is for patients to be cared for and nurtured in the environment they’re familiar with”, Prof. Ndoma-Egba said.
Speaking also was the SA to the Governor on Insurance, Mr Godwin Iyala who spoke elaborately on why Governor Ayade tied insurance with health care. He said the objective can be drawn from the AyadeCare and the Home Health Care today.
The SA applauded the innovation of Governor Ayade and the thinking force of Dr Barnaby as Cross Riverians cam now accessed quality healthcare with just a token of N1000.
“What is happening in Home Health Care is just a little beginning of the AyadeCare. When you pay N1000 a month, you’re entitled to quality health services; this is just the beginning”, Mr. Iyala said.
Highpoint of the event featured free medical checkups, health lecture speeches delivered by Mr Paschal Akpo, Dr Jane Adah, Provost, College of Health Technology, Professor Ikpeme A. Ikpeme, Professor Victor Ansa, Nurse Emelda Duke.
Present at the event were Her Excellency, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo; Professor Okegbe, Chief Medical Director, Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar; Dr Nchewi Ani, President of Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Cross River State Chapter; Dr Ene-Obong, a UK based Health Expert; Comr. John O. Ushie, Chairman of Nigerian Labour Congress, Cross River State Chapter; and others.
