Ebonyi State Health insurance Agency (EBSHIA), said, it has significantly scaled up access to health and affordable healthcare services in the state through enrollment of over 137,000 residents into the state’s health insurance scheme,
The Executive Secretary of the State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Divine Igwe, revealed this to Journalists, Thursday, at Women Development Centre, Abakaliki, during a presentation of two years achievements of Governor Francis Nwifuru in the Agency as he marks his two years in office come 29th May, 2025.
According to Dr. Igwe, a total of 137,133 individuals were enrolled between 2023 and 2024. These included 42,088 children under the age of five, 20,786 pregnant women, 15,644 elderly persons, and 1,210 persons living with disabilities. In addition, 41,783 indigent residents were enrolled, along with 8,061 civil servants under the formal sector and 2,214 individuals under the informal sector. Another 5,347 students benefited through the Tertiary Institutions Social Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP).
Igwe, revealed further that over 86,000 people became active beneficiaries of the scheme in 2024 alone, receiving various free medical services such as antenatal care, deliveries, immunizations, eye care, surgeries, and disease management, among others.
“The impact has been significant. Our enrollees are receiving quality healthcare without the burden of out-of-pocket payments, thanks to the vision of the Governor and support from the First Lady’s BERWO initiative,” Igwe said.
He lauded Governor Nwifuru for prioritizing healthcare needs of the people of the state through consistent support to EBSHIA and policies targeted at the vulnerable groups.
EBSHIA Boss emphasized that
Ebonyi state health insurance is making tremendous progress when it comes to the area of health especially, in the area of health financing and call on all philanthropists and political office holders to come together and adopt at least, 1,0000 lives per Ward to be included in Ebonyi state health insurance scheme.
"Ebonyi state health insurance is making tremendous progress when it comes to the area of health especially in the area of health financing. Through Ebonyi state insurance Agency, the governor of Ebonyi state has been able to cut down the catastrophic medical expenditure that is emanating from illnesses in all the 13 Local Government Area and 171 wards of the state.
"I call on all philanthropists, all political office holders to come together and adopt at least, 1,0000 lives per Ward to be included in Ebonyi state health insurance Agency. This will go a long way to cutting down the maternal mortality, go a long to cut down the infant death and go a long way to stop this ravaging BP that is increasing per day. The PB is killing people not because it has not been there, it is killing people because hardship is now added to it. Let us get this people into health insurance so that they can comfortably go to the hospital and access healthcare without paying a dime. I call on all these philanthropists and political office holders to galvanize themselves Ward to Ward and enroll at least 1,000 persons per Ward into Ebonyi state health insurance agency, by so doing, we'll increase the pull. so, increasing the pull is what we're expecting next year."
The Chairman of the EBSHIA Board, Barrister Elizabeth Ogbaga, and Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, also applauded the state’s efforts, noting that critical gaps in healthcare personnel, equipment, and access had been addressed over the past two years.
Dr. Ekuma revealed that when the administration took office, only seven doctors were available to cover 14 general hospitals in the state. “Today, we have over 40 doctors serving in the Ministry of Health, modern equipment in our hospitals, and an agency to manage drug procurement and distribution,” he added.
On their part, the state Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, Prof. Ogugua Egwu, his Trade Union Congress Counterpart, Comrade Chidi Igboji and Nigeria Union or Journalists, NUJ Comrade Samson Nwafor, commended the achievements of the Agency. They urged for further decentralization of the scheme to reach rural communities and called on well-to-do citizens to sponsor health insurance for vulnerable individuals.
The event drew participation from traditional institution, health stakeholders, and beneficiaries, many of whom shared testimonies of improved healthcare access under the scheme.
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