Ogun State Government says it has paid up a total sum of N200 million grant to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund as part of its resolve to take  advantage of the health scheme in Ogun State.

The State governor Prince Dapo Abiodun disclosed this at the launch of Basic Health Care Provision Fund and commencement of the Informal  Sector Health Insurance Scheme at the June 12 Cultural Centre Kuto Abeokuta.

He noted that the formal take-off of the Informal Sector Health Insurance Scheme was another step towards capturing the all-important sector in the social health safety nets which are the Informal Sector of Nigeria and Ogun State in particular. 

" while our Administration will continue to ensure that affordable and sustainable health care delivery system is provided in Ogun State, it is also imperative that we make it easily accessible to all our people. It is for this reason that we are gathered here today to launch the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) as an effective gateway to the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the formal take-off of Informal Sector Health Insurance Scheme towards improving the wellbeing, wellness and welfare of the people of Ogun State.

"The BHCPF is a social health intervention fund that is targeted at providing basic health care services to the vulnerable crop of people – such as pregnant women and children under-5, as well as the indigent people in the society. Let me assure that with the formal launch of BHCPF, the basic health care services will be provided to these categories of people that have been registered by the Ogun State Health Insurance Agency at no cost.

He said access to basic health care services without exposure to financial hardships by the vulnerable in the society necessitated the Informal Sector Health Insurance Scheme, expressing the hope that it would serve as a cushion against any financial burden as occasioned by high out-of-pocket expenses on health care services.

While appreciating the Federal Government its social intervention programmes aimed at improving the wellbeing of the people, the governor noted that the launching of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and the Informal Sector Health Insurance Scheme, would further deepen the positive impacts of the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) in Ogun State.

Governor Abiodun said his administration would continue to collaborate with the Federal Government across all sectors and improve on the policy formulation and programme implementation to sustain on the Public-Private Partnership strategy, adding that the relevant agencies in the health sector would continue to provide  necessary skills and equipment for more efficient and effective service delivery. 

The Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Olakunle Oluomo while appreciating the present administration for the initiative, said the house would make to criminalised diversion of the scheme's fund,  advising the agency to appoint their representatives to liaise with members of the public to sell the scheme, encouraging political office holders to embrace the scheme by paying for some of their constituents.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Nasir Sambo, disclosed that the federal government has disbursed over N28.7bn to states and the federal capital territory that have fulfilled the requirements of accessing the funds.

Sambo while noting that the National Health Insurance Scheme provides support to state agencies in terms of technical and operational issues especially in the areas of training, technology and programme development to facilitate attainment of the universal coverage by the year 2030, said the federal government was also developing a contemporary and comprehensive information technology through the ongoing ENHIS project.

Speaking in behalf of traditional rulers, Chairman, Ogun State Traditional Council of Obas and the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, expressed happiness with the new development in the health sector, calling on the people to embrace the scheme in order to access quality health care services.