Imo Health Insurance Scheme: Ewelike lauds Gov Uzodimma for Saving lives …Urges citizens to enroll

By Ikenna Orioha…

The Executive Director of Imo State Health Insurance Agency (IMSHIA), Dr. Uche Ewelike, has lauded His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodimma, for saving lives in the state through a health insurance programme.

Ewelike expressed excitement that the Governor has saved more lives than the roads he had built across the Geopolitical Zones of the state, hinting that Imo is the best state in Nigeria to have fully and roundly embraced the scheme.

Ewelike said Governor Hope Uzodimma who introduced IMSHIA on April 1, 2023 across the 305 INEC Wards of the 27 LGAs of Imo State to enable residents access quality health, goes a long way to demonstrate his commitment and concern for good health of the people, particularly those who cannot afford quality health services, while noting that the health insurance Programme is a landmark achievement by the Governor.

Speaking on Monday during a tour of some facilities in the state where health insurance programme patients are being treated free of charge, Ewelike pointed out some of the objectives of the health scheme to include reduction of cost of needed healthcare services on residents through lowering of out-of-pocket expenditure as well as improving and maintaining quality health services rendered to beneficiaries.

He stressed that over 435,000 cases had been treated successfully which he added include gastroenteritis, referrals/surgeries, malaria, ear nose/throat infection, antenatal care, respiratory tract infection, diabetes, primary eye care services, hypertension. 

“We had discharged most of our patients in other facilities. We have only 5 patients in New Healing Stream Specialist Hospital, Egbeada, Mbaitoli LGA and they are major surgeries. This morning, some were discharged in other facilities. There are other enrollees who are recuperating from major surgeries.

“We cannot respond to everybody, but let Imo people see what we are doing. The people are alive, they did not pay any money and the scheme is devoid of gender, religious and ethnic bias. Provided you are an Imo resident who are under Imo NUJ Health Insurance Scheme – you are protected and we have been doing it and we will continue to do it to improve quality health.

“Governor Hope Uzodimma has saved more lives than the roads he built. The 3R led government has the capacity to improve good health. Civil servants, pensioners, vulnerable people in the 305 INEC Wards are protected. Those who are not vulnerable, civil servants, pensioners should go to their LGAs and enroll into the scheme with a fee of #15,000 and we are responding to all especially our critics with concrete evidences”, Ewelike maintained.

Earlier, Dr. Chima Oparaji, the Medical Director of New Healing Stream Specialist Hospital Egbeada, one of the facilities that partners with IMSHIA, visited, affirmed that there were 5 patients that went through medical surgery at the hospital who he added came through IMSHIA who took care of their bills including blood transfusion.

Oparaji observed with gratitude that there are “2 cases of Phybroi Surgeries, each Phybroi Surgery will not cost anything less than #600,000. Some cost over #900,000 (if you are paying out-of-pocket), but it is free. Also, we have 2 Cesarian Sessions that were very successful and the last case is a young man who had a successful surgery on Ibi today – courtesy of Imo health insurance program. The Governor is doing well to improve quality health of the people. We have been partnering with the government and it is doing real good”.

Express joy, some of the patients: Blessing Kaka (from Mbaitoli, who had Phybroi Surgery), Chidimma Gift (from Umunoha, Mbaitoli, who had Phybroi Surgery), Igbokwe Lilian (who delivered through Cesarian), Izuagba Olivia (from Ideato South, who delivered through Cesarian) and Emmanuel Chibuike (who had surgery on Ibi), who said they feel healthier, thanked the Governor for saving their lives, praying that God blesses him and those he used to affect their lives positively.