Desirous of ensuring quality and affordable health care across the broad spectrum of the citizenry, Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, today , signed into law the state’s Health Insurance bill.
Tagged: “AYADECARE“, the law seeks to provide medical insurance cover at primary, secondary and tertiary levels for the old, the young, including the weak and the strong in the state.
When it comes into operation, the law also provides for a mandatory monthly fee of N1000.00 from every adult citizen and resident of not less than 18 years.
Performing the ceremony at Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office Calabar, Ayade disclosed that the intent of the bill will ensure that “the strong pays for those who are medically challenged,” adding that “the law provides very expressly that a minimum of N1000.00 monthly, will be paid by every Cross Riverian as well as those residing in the state.”
Continuing, the governor explained that “the N1000 becomes your insurance for that month and that gives you access to full medical attention including diagnosis, transplant, surgeries among others.”
Ayade who described the bill as most spiritual, noted that “it derives its origin from a true communitarian African culture which enjoins us to provide a shoulder for others to lean on.”
He added that “there can be no bill that is more humanitarian, human focused, sensitive and delicate like this. It is a message for all including residents in the state as they are captured in the bill, for we believe in the love for strangers and visitors.”
On the management of funds accruing form the scheme, Governor Ayade explained that “government rose to the task in order to protect the vulnerable, sick, physically challenged and the weak,” maintaining that “the administration, as part of its policies, will have nothing to do with the funds that will emanate from the scheme, but will help to enforce payment.”
While urging the state legislators to set up an operational committee that will draw the modality, the governor quipped: “Today, the medical challenges of our citizens have been taken away and placed on this platform that every one of us will now contribute to support our people.”
He intimated that the law which provides for primary, secondary and tertiary medical services would ensure the setting up of specialist health care centres across the three senatorial districts of the state to provide for the medical challenges of the citizenry.
Speaking on on the international dimension of the new law Governor Ayade further disclosed that “this is the kind of bill that the World Bank, United Nations, UNICEF will be quick to fund and support.”
On the action plan, the governor charged the committee that is yet to be inaugurated to: “Let us first start by creating the infrastructure which is to set up an action team so that everybody gets involved. Think of where in the Central, North or South are we going to set up these three medical centres of excellence. Once that is identified, the mechanism for collection starts, the design of the medical centres follow.” According to him, “once that is done, the world-class group will start the design and construction. All of these, of course, will be outside the control of government because I don’t want this government to be involved in touching a dime from this fund.”
