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RIVCHPP SEEKS ADDITIONAL LIVES ON BHCPF ENROLMENT FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAIRMEN.

Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme [RIVCHPP] is seeking the sponsorship of more lives by chairmen of the 23 local government areas of the state on board its health insurance scheme in order to increase the number of persons targeted to benefit from the healthcare coverage of the agency.

The Acting Executive Secretary of RIVCHPP,  Dr Vetty Agala,  who made the appeal in Okrika Mainland,  headquarters of the council, when she led her team on an advocacy visit to the Executive Chairman of Okrika Local Government Area,  disclosed that the Federal Government l, through the National Health Insurance Authority [NHIA] directed Rivers State to enrol only a total of 68,874 lives to benefit from the Basic Health Care Provision Fund [BHCPF].

Dr. Agala,  however,  informed that Amaopusenibo Siminialayi Fubara, GSSRS,  graciously increased the number of beneficiaries to 100,000 from the federal government's limit of 68,874 lives.

She reiterated that the persons to benefit from the BHCPF are mainly those categorised as vulnerable people like pregnant women,  children less than 5 years, people living with disabilities,  and some HIV patients.

The Acting Executive Secretary of RIVCHPP 's disclosure has it that BHCPF is being paid for from a percentage of the consolidated revenue fund of the federal government to cater for the number of persons the NHIA has directed the agency in the state to enrol.

Dr. Agala emphasised that the fund can not cater to the health needs of all the vulnerable people in the state who will really find it hard to pay for their health care services and needed medical bills, which has prompted the call for more resources to be brought to a pool so that more and more people in the State would become beneficiaries of the scheme.

The RIVCHPP boss then called upon authorities of the different local government councils,  religious bodies,  social groups,  philanthropists,  and well-meaning individuals to pool resources and enrol some more lives in their communities into the health insurance scheme they can carry in order to give such persons the opportunity to have access to health care without bearing the cost of medication and treatment,  saying that healthcare is one of the best gifts that can be given to humanity.

In his remarks,  the Executive Chairman of Okrika Local Government Area,  Sir Achese Igwe,  who commended Dr.  Agala and her team for painstakingly making efforts to see that the universal health coverage of the state greatly improves,  appreciated Governor Fubara for making the health insurance scheme functional in the state,  saying that the Governor means well for the people of the State.

Sir Achese Igwe emphasised that investments in the health and education of the people would bring about unparalleled economic freedom and growth,  pledging that the council will come up with modalities on how to bring more persons from the area on board the programme.

The Okrika Local Government boss decried the moribund and dilapidated state of most health facilities in the area,  arguing that there can be no truly impactful health insurance scheme without functional health facilities.

Sir Achese Igwe then called on RIVCHPP to liaise with the Primary Health Care Management Board and other relevant authorities and stakeholders to see how the primary health centres and facilities can be revitalised, rehabilitated,  properly staffed and equipped to make them truly functional and working,  so that the health insurance initiative can be beneficial to the people, especially in the rural communities.

Idanye Oruigoni 
Information/Media Officer, 
RIVCHPP,  Port Harcourt .