Ekiti State government has begun a Health Insurance Scheme (EKSHIS), with the inauguration of an 18-man committee.
It is expected to ensure a smooth take-off and running of the scheme.
The committee, headed by the health commissioner as chairman, comprises members drawn from stakeholders in the public sector, private organisations, labour unions, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and health practitioners.
Speaking at the inauguration in Ado Ekiti, Health Commissioner Dr. Olurotimi Ojo reiterated the commitment of the government to the provision of affordable health care services, saying it was determined to transform the health sector through wide coverage and peopleโs participation, in order to increase life expectancy for the growth and development of the state.
He said the focus was to guarantee improved access to high standard health care delivery through financial protection against unforeseen huge medical bills, as well as poverty reduction by reducing out of pocket expenses on health care for families and individuals.
Ojo said the scheme would boost efficiency in health care delivery and provide free health care for expectant women and children of age five and below.
He noted that the greatest benefit derivable from the scheme was the ability to provide for the poor through the pooling and redistribution of resources.
Tracing the genesis of the scheme to the state Health Insurance Scheme Bill, which was signed into law by Governor Ayodele Fayose in 2016, Ojo said the law made the scheme compulsory for every resident, stressing the need for participation by stakeholders to maximise the benefits.
The Acting General Manager of EKSHIS, Mr. Olusola Shittu, a pharmacist, who is also the secretary to the newly- inaugurated committee, pledged on behalf of the committee to leave no stone unturned towards achieving result.
The Chairman of the Ekiti Council of Obas, the Oloye of Oye Ekiti, Obama Oluwole Ademolaju, who hailed the scheme, said traditional rulers would support and ensure its success.
