Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, GSSRS has kick-started an health insurance agenda for all Rivers people, by ensuring that the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme law of 2020, which was signed into law by the previous government in 2021, becomes functional by mainstreaming the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme to become operational and to ensure that affordable health care services are made accessible to people of the State.
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The Acting Executive Secretary of the programme, Dr. Vetty Agala, who made the clarification while addressing Rivers people during the 2024 Civil Service Week in Port Harcourt, announced that both workers and those who do not work for the government are expected to contribute token amounts of money to a common purse from where their health care services will be funded, encouraging all residents of the State to avail themselves of the opportunity.
Dr. Agala reiterated that though free medical care is not new in Rivers State, Governor Fubara, due to the love he has for the people of the State, has revived the moribund policy through the health insurance and also ensured that the funds are highly subsidised so as to make more and more people, especially the vulnerable and poor, access affordable health care within the State.
The Executive Secretary of the Health Programme announced that according to a household survey carried out by Rivers State Ministry of Health in 2022, less than 5% of Rivers State population know anything about health insurance, and less than 4% of the population is covered by any form of health insurance, calling on the people to embrace the contributory health programme not only to improve their health status but to also help them reduce how much they spend in getting quality health services.
Dr. Agala announced that the National Health Insurance Authority Act of 2022 stipulates that health insurance should be mandatory for everyone and that Rivers State Government has keyed in to that all-important provision, saying that RIVCHPP will continue to churn out health promotion activities so that the workforce in Rivers can benefit and stay healthy.
The Executive Secretary of RIVCHPP is optimistic that with the programme, now on course, the health coverage of the State will be accelerated to meet up with the target 8 goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
