Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
The Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Scheme (EBSHIA), Dr. Divine Igwe, has stated that the health insurance scheme has drastically reduced the maternal and child mortality rate in Ebonyi.
Dr. Igwe made this known at a press conference in Abakaliki following the successful enrollment of pregnant women across the 13 local government areas, sponsored by Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Persons Foundation (BERWO), a pet project of the First lady, Chief Mrs. Maduline Nwifuru.
He revealed that over 51,871 individuals, including civil servants, sickle cell patients, and pregnant women, have been enrolled in the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund since January 2023.
He stressed the importance of this initiative in averting avoidable deaths, stating that since January 2023 till date , most people in the rural areas no longer die out of preventable causes due to lack of money because the barriers of seeking alternative herbal medicine and patronizing patent medicine dealers have been taken care of through the state health insurance scheme.
He lamented on the dangers of resorting to traditional birth attendants and herbal medicine, citing instances where complications arose, leading to avoidable deaths.
Adding “They are some deaths that are avertable. Through this programme, we have crashed martenal mortality rate, and it will no longer be as much as people where talking before, because why people were dying was because they were not going to the hospital, they were going to the backyard looking for someone that will help them deliver their baby.
“And some God will help them, they will deliver safely, some will have complications, and such complications if it where to be in the hospital we would have looked for a means of savaging the person and get the person out of the problem,” he said.
Dr. Igwe commended the unwavering support of Governor Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru and his wife, Chief Maudline Ogbonna Nwifuru, for facilitating free medical treatment, especially for pregnant women.
He emphasized that all enrolled individuals, including over 4,000 pregnant women, have received 100% free medical care. Revealing that the scheme has successfully delivered 1,739 babies without charge and treated 28,000 cases of malaria, with only seven recorded deaths since January 2023.
Speakimg with the press, some of the beneficiaries of the EBSHIA scheme like Mr. Christopher Chukwu from Ohaozara LGA, expressed joy over the intervention of EBSHIA in his wife’s safe delivery, saying that he will name his child after the wife of the governor, Mrs. Maudline Nwifuru, while Mrs. Chukwuka Promise from Ishielu, Mrs. Mgbebu Uchenna from Ikwo, among other pregnant women, testified that the scheme has impacted positively in their lives as all their medical bills after delivery, were totally cleared by the agency as a result of their enrollment.
They prayed for God to bless Governor Francis Nwifuru and his wife for supporting EBSHIA to save many lives in Ebonyi State.
Earlier in her address during the grand finale of the enrollment at Ohaukwu LGA, the wife of the Governor, Mrs. Maudline Ogbonna Nwifuru stated that she will do everything possible to ensure that greater part of Ebonyians are enrolled into EBSHIA to ensure quality healthcare delivery for all.
The wife of the Governor represented by the team leader of Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Persons Foundation (BERWO) Dr. Nkechi Emma Echeagu commended all the chairpersons in all the council areas for their commitment and dedication to ensure that rural women are enrolled in the system.
She also pledged to give more support in order to make it easier to access of their healthcare system and treatment in Ebonyi State.