The Abia State Government has granted approval for the formal roll out of Abia State Insurance Scheme for civil servants in the State.
The State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu who disclosed this at Government House, Umuahia while briefing the press on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti, said the insurance scheme would enable civil servants to enjoy medical services from service providers as government has provided 500 Hundred Million Naira counterpart funding for the scheme.
Prince Kanu, who said that all the civil servants are supposed to enrol in the scheme, added that the Governor has decided to pay 2.5 percent for the workers to encourage them to enrol in the scheme while workers are expected to provide the remaining 2.5 percent.
The Information Commissioner also announced that the State Government has approved comprehensive upgrade and remodeling of Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba to a befitting medical institution, adding that the remodeling is in line with the Governor’s transformation agenda in the health sector.
He also announced that the Abia State Specialist Hospital has regained its Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria’s accreditation status for the training of medical students, noting that the accreditation came with an increase in the training quota from 24 to 36 of such personnel.
Answering questions from newsmen on the Health Insurance Scheme, the state Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya said that having commenced the contribution, employees of the Abia state government will start accessing the services in 3-months time.
He said employees of the Government are entitled to 4-dependants in addition to their spouses, adding that modalities are being worked out to accommodate the informal sector.
The state Health Commissioner also announced that Governor Otti has approved fund for the upgrade of the Amachara General Hospital to a world Class Hospital, pointing out that Government is using an integrated approach from the primary to tertiary health care with a view to making it accessible to citizens especially the vulnerable group.
