Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state has launched the pilot phase of Ogun State Community-Based Health Insurance Scheme (CBHIS) tagged ARAYA aimed at reducing infant and maternal mortality.
The governor, who unveiled the Community-Based Health Insurance Scheme (CBHIS) on Tuesday in Abeokuta, also launched the second phase of the Conditional Cash Transfer (GBOMORO), expressing the belief that his government’s affordable and sustainable healthcare delivery system would serve as a reference point for others across the country.
“The Community Based Health Insurance Scheme is designed to provide financial protection against all causes of illness and improving access to quality health services for those who are excluded from the formal insurance.
“The wide spread participation in CBHIS across Ogun State will provide free-healthcare for the vulnerable group – pregnant mothers, children under five years and the aged (70 years and above) while the cost of healthcare for the general populace will also be subsidised by government,” the governor said.
Amosun further explained that the main objective of GBOMORO is to increase the access of low income pregnant women to basic healthcare, adding that “Under this GBOMORO Project, “cash will be given to the vulnerable pregnant women to increase their access to maternal health services at selected healthcare centres,” he said.
Benefit derivable from the CBHIS, according to the governor, include improved access to healthcare delivery by setting high standard; reduction of poverty in the state by reducing out of pocket expenses for healthcare delivery; augmentation of government expenditure on health, which is quite low in Nigeria; increased efficiency in the healthcare delivery system and provision of free health care for pregnant women and children under five years through Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme GBOMORO.
In his presentation, Olaokun Soyinka commissioner for health, said beneficiaries of the scheme are expected to pay N7,000 as premium per year which will be subsidised by the state government in collaboration with the beneficial Local Government Councils with N3,000, thereby enabling the enrollees to pay N4,000 per annum while vulnerable groups, who are the pregnant women, under-fives and over-70s, would access it for free.
Rasaq Ayinla
