C/River inaugurates formal sector enrollment into health scheme
Cross River Government on Thursday in Calabar inaugurated formal sector enrollment into its Health Insurance Scheme christened “Ayadecare” after six years of its introduction in the state.
The scheme, first introduced in 2016 by the state government, with a law creating the Cross River Health Insurance Agency, had been inactive.
The Director-General of the scheme, Mr Godwin Iyala, said during the inauguration that the measure was designed to bring affordable and quality healthcare for residents.
Iyala said that the state health insurance scheme had engaged qualified personnel to give topnotch services to workers in the formal sector of the state.
He added that “the government intends to achieve Universal Health Coverage to help workers to put money back into their pockets instead of paying medical bills out of pocket.
“With N12,000 annually, every enrolled worker in the state can secure care in the Primary Healthcare Centres, General Hospitals or the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) when the need arises,” he said.
The director-general said that the scheme had put up a platform to deal with workers’ complaints and called for sensitisation in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
In his remarks, Mr Timothy Akwaji, the Cross River Head of Service, said that with legal backing, the scheme, which is mandatory for all civil/public servants and the political class, would take healthcare to all at affordable cost.
He said “with this formal enrollment ceremony, monthly deduction of N1,000 will commence from each enrollee.
“The deduction, which was given due appraisal and approval by the governor and critical stakeholders including the organised labour, considered its enormous benefits to members,” he said.
Mrs Margaret Moffi, the Coordinator of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the state, commended the state government for the gesture.
She, however, advised the government to set up a board for the scheme to run professionally.(NAN)
